Unintended Consequences
by Willowwhip
Summary: Lass and Arme's lives together are at their climax. What comes next though, they didn't see coming. Rated for Lemonz and some profanity. Couples include LassxArme, ElesisxRonan, RyanxLire, AmyxJin, SiegxMari, and potential ZeroxDio
1. First there was lust

Disclaimer:(Willow) ARME!! Stop fucking Lass long enough to say the disclaimer!!

(sreaming erupts from the bedroom)

Mari: (sigh)Willowwhip doesn't own us….;; YOU CAN AT LEAST SCREAM QUIETER!!!

Rapex: First there was Lust…

She was running through the trial forest for her life, casting spells at her pursuer. She'd never felt more afraid in her life. The one person she held dearest now stalking her, hunting her like the prey she was. Her heart pounded furiously against her chest as she teleported as fast as she could away from the danger. Too bad it wasn't fast enough. Before she knew it she'd been hit in the neck at a pressure point and her feet swept from beneath her.

She awoke from her daze, strapped to a bed that was in her own home. Arme struggled to break free from the leather binding. It was no use, she simply wasn't strong enough. Her war staff was over across the room, too far away to do anything with. A pant and underwear lacking Lass came into her view and she struggled harder.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here," The silver haired boy stated as he reached out and grabbed her chin gently, but firmly. He advanced on her body in a way so that he was covering her. He undid the lower buckles with his feet and the upper buckles with his hands. Arme thrashed as much as she could but it was to no avail. He pulls his daggers out and places the cool blade to her throat so that she would stop struggling. He then moved all of his weight to his knees and tore the skirt part off of her. He then proceeded to unzip her jacket, revealing pure white lingerie. He then proceeded to take off what was left of his attire and throw it over hers in a corner. He takes off her panties and bra like a true thief and thrusts himself inside of her in one fluid motion. Her breath was stolen from her for a brief moment and then she began to fight again. She screamed.

Arme's cries filled the air like the sound of a dying dove. She beat on Lass's rock hard chest like a drum, but he continued to violate her. He suckled her breasts and held her head down by her hair. He moved slowly but intensely for the first few thrusts and slowly gained speed. Her protests grew stronger with every thrust. Their bodies running against each other, pelvis areas throbbing from the force used. Although she was being raped, she couldn't help but be pleasured at the feel of his large cock rubbing her nerves in all the right ways. Then it happened. He hit her G-spot and she moaned in pleasure. Smiling he flipped her over and began to fuck her from behind. He kept hitting that g-spot and those screams of terror turned into more of a cry of intense desire.

'Please don't let it stop,' the purple haired goddess thought to herself, 'it's too good.' She felt herself nearly lose control of herself the closer they got to climaxing. The silver haired male turned her again. Lass was kissing her torso everywhere and vice versa. She was madly in lust with this boy. She gave him hickies all over his neck and chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips with a passion. At this point it was hardly rape anymore and they both came, Arme first and Lass very shortly after. Arme pulled Lass down gently and held him as they went to sleep.

"Good night love," Arme sighed as she curled in closer, "We should do the foreplay in the forest more often. It was fun" Lass sighed contentedly and curled his body over and around the little mage.

"Whatever you want sweetie," He said right before he fell asleep. Arme cuddled as close as humanly possible and then fell asleep herself.

~*~*~*~

A/N: I promise that was not the first chapter lol. I will update again today or tomorrow. I have an appointment at 12:45pm tomorrow so idk if I'll update at a reasonable time.

Love

Willow


	2. Daily Life with a Twist

Willow: (glomps Utsuro) Utsuro say the disclaimer!!! ~ (spins Utsuro)

Utsuro: NYEH!!! OKOKOK!

Disclaimer: Willowwhip does not own Grand Chase. She also doesn't ow-(mouth is full of…cherry pie)

Willow: RUN UTSURO!!! Lass won't know! (Utsuro runs away) ^w^ Please enjoy~

Daily Life

It had been 5 years since the final battle and they were allowed to go about their lives as they had wished. They tried living alone but that didn't work. They all decided to live together in one big house kin to a castle. The Chasers paired off into couples, Lire with Ryan, Elesis with Ronan, Amy with Jin, Mari with Seighart, and Lass with Arme. Ronan actually got married to Elesis and Lire became engaged to Ryan. Seeing as there is no more struggle outside of average life, things are very calm usually. Unfortunately for the rest of the group, Arme and Lass have been getting a bit restless with no danger. This leads to them acting out normally very dangerous things at home such as…well…

"Hey, morning Arme," Elesis said as she came down. The mage was cooking breakfast fully clothed, "You were screaming pretty loudly last night. I think we might have to get you a sound proof room." She sat in at the table. Arme turned around expecting to see Elesis smirking or smiling and finding nothing. She was being serious. She blushed.

"I'm sorry, I'll try to be quieter next time," Arme stated turning back around. Arme began to hum a cheerful tune as she made coffee for the Chasers and finished up breakfast. Ronan came down about thirty seconds later.

"Arme," Ronan started, "Are you ok? You were screaming louder than usual last night," Arme sighed and nodded. He came over closer to her to inspect her facial and body language as well, "Are you sure? If he hurt you we could tell him if you're afraid."

Arme rolled her eyes, "Yes Ronan I'm fine. I would have stopped him if it hurt."

Ronan took one last worried glance and sat down at the table next to Elesis who was snickering. They proceeded to get into an educated debate over who would win in a fight, Arme or Lass. As they were arguing Amy and Jin came in holding hands. They saw Arme and felt the need to ask Arme about how she's doing.

Jin went first, "Arme are you ok? It sounded like last night Lass broke your vagina," Arme flipped around and glared at him. Elesis was loudly laughing and Ronan was trying to hide his chuckling. Amy giggled and defended him, "Arme, you have to admit, you were pretty loud."

The now thoroughly embarrassed, Arme said nothing and she turned around trying to quickly finish breakfast. Ryan came down next with Lire trailing behind slightly. They could feel the annoyed and frustrated aura Arme was projecting and decided not to say anything. Mari came down next. She inhaled and Arme flipped around with a look that made it very clear that she best choose her next words carefully. Mari was unfazed by this look.

"Seighart will not be joining us for breakfast. He couldn't get to sleep last night," was all she said. She sat down at the table with her book and began to read it for the forty-second time. Arme sighed in relief. It looked like those were the only people who were going to take shots at her for the moment. That was when she got breakfast finished and began to serve it. Lass came down the stairs, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her from behind. He then sat down at the table and waited to be served. Arme sat next to him. Arme may have been spared but that didn't mean that Lass wasn't.

Jin of course, was the first to speak up, "Ahem, So Lass, how hard did you rape Arme? She was screaming bloody murder all night."

Apparently Lass was a solid rock in social situations because he expressed no emotional hiccup. Arme was blushing so hard she felt like she was going to die.

"Oh just a little bit harder than normal. I'll tone it down if it bothers you." He said taking a casual sip of orange juice. Ronan felt he needed to input something into this conversation to turn it more serious.

"Lass, make sure it is COMPLETELY consensual. You can't be hurting Arme."

Lass knew about Ronan's protectiveness. The implied accusation did not annoy him because he knew that Ronan was just looking out for all members of the team. Arme was completely distraught but that was what made the pair perfect. Lass maintained his cool at all times. Arme was fairly emotional, just enough to cancel each other out without it being drastic. One by one everyone finished their breakfasts and went to do other things. Elesis went to the training grounds with Ronan and Jin. They had a few survival matches. Ryan and Lire went out to a garden in the back yard to tend to it. Lass went and lurked in the shadows. Mari went to her dungeon of creations. Arme however, went to Amy and asked her to go shopping with her. She needed new clothes and knew how much the pink haired girl loved shopping.

Amy's eyes lit up with delight as Arme asked her, "Of COURSE I will go with you!!!" Amy exclaimed, "Just let me get ready and I'll be right there." Amy then disappeared up the stairs and fell into shopping spree preparation frenzy. Arme sighed and then sat on the couch. Seighart came down the stairs then rubbing his eyes and sat next to the purple haired mage.

"I see that you are well," he stated formally. He really didn't have more to say so he let Arme fill in the rest of the conversation.

"Oh," Arme stated, "Thank you, you are looking fine yourself," She replied with a smile.

The Prime Knight rolled his head, "I could go for more sleep, but whatever. Mari won't let me sleep any longer. She wants me to sleep when she goes to bed so I have to stay on her schedule."

Arme suddenly felt bad. She made him lose sleep. Maybe she ought not to participate in her fetish so loudly. Seighart was too tired to pick on her that day. Amy bounded down the stairs with speed that rivaled a horse. She rounded the staircase and stopped right in front of Arme causing for wind to come past her. She could smell the excitement coming off of the Starlet. Amy took her hand and walked at a much slower pace to the door and off to the shopping district.

"Oooooh! Arme come here! Look at this! It's so shiiiiny," Amy cooed as she held up a sequined dancer outfit. Arme groaned as she drug herself over to the overly enthusiastic dancer.

"Amyyy, don't you think we're going a bit too fast? Lets cool it down a bit please?"

Amy looked at the mage for a minute and then nodded, "Ok, I'll try to be more calm."

She started to skip through the aisles of clothing that were displayed, trying to find clothes that Arme would like. Arme had to go get a basket for the sheer amount of clothing that the girl placed unto her. Shortly after the basket became so heavy Arme could barely lift it, they went to a changing stall to view their choices.

The first thing the mage came out in was something similar to a purple version of Amy's dancer outfit. Amy clapped of course but Arme blushed and took it off in the stall. She felt too exposed. She'd gotten out of the habit of wearing revealing clothes in the time since the final battle. She then tried on a baby doll shirt that was off white. She liked that and went out to show Amy.

"It's a bit plain but you look very pretty in it," Said the Muse smiling. The next thing Arme tried on was a black short dress with a turtle neck and long sleeves. It had a red and dark purple corset and flared out at the bottom similar to Mari's Rune Caster outfit only longer and fuller. Amy jumped out of her seat and hugged Arme at this one.

"OH GODS THIS IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!" Amy yelled as she swung Arme around in the air. It was obvious that she was impressed. Arme started getting nauseous as Amy was doing so.

Arme tapped Amy, "Amy, I think I'm going to be sick."

Amy promptly stopped spinning the soon to be ill magician and ran to the nearest trashcan. She placed Arme in front of it just in time. She got vomited all of her breakfast up into the waste disposal unit. When she was done she turned back to Amy who was looking at her concerned and with mild distress.

"I'm sorry that I made you puke."

Arme shook her head, "Don't worry about it Amy. I just have a sensitive stomach."

The duo returned to the stalls and completed the trying on of clothes. Even though the mood of the day was slightly dampened, the two had a good day. After trying on clothes they went to shoes and socks that would go well with the outfits that survived the elimination round. They bought the clothes and went home. Seighart was still on the couch but sleeping this time. The sparing team was in the kitchen; apparently they had just finished their match. Lire and Ryan were not seen. Mari was probably still in her lab. Jin, seeing Amy rushed over to her and kissed her passionately on the lips. They got into a lip locking session and Arme left the room. She needed to go brush her teeth. She wet her toothbrush and looked up into the mirror. Suddenly she became terrified. There was a toddler with purple hair and silver eyes sitting on the bathtub rim. She flipped around to look but there wasn't anything there. She looked around for any sign of the boy but there was none. Thinking she was just seeing things she continued to brush her teeth. Arme went down to get herself some lunch. She was hungry after having puked up her entire breakfast. She made a sandwich with a cup of tea. She sat down to begin eating and Lass swung in through a window to see her.

"Amy said you vomited at the store. Are you alright?" He asked with concern in his voice. His face was only slightly distressed. Arme nodded.

"She spun me a little too much. She got overly excited about one of the dresses we picked out," Arme stated taking a sip of tea to calm her nerves after the whole toddler-on-the-bathtub incident. Lass kissed her throat and felt her heart racing. She didn't smell like arousal so he assumed she was afraid.

Lass looked at her frowning, "What happened? Why are you afraid?" Arme cursed internally. Why must he be so observant all the time?

Arme smiled, "It was nothing, I just saw something in the bathroom that startled me."

Lass frowned but seemed to be satisfied. He kissed her on the forehead before swinging back out the window and into the shadows. In the beginning of their relationship, Arme used to worry about him. He always came back at night though so she stopped being afraid. When she stopped eating, she went out to the gardens for meditation. She found Lire in a clearing doing the same and sat next to her.

Lire smelled the air. There was an aroma floating around coming from Arme. It was pleasant but strange. They meditated for approximately thirty minutes when Ryan showed up in wolf form. He initially was walking to Lire but smelled Arme. He came closer to investigate the smell. He thought of all smells he'd come in contact with and realized what it was. He then turned back and walked over to Lire. He kissed her and whispered into her ear before dragging her away. Arme looked curiously about them. She knew it was about her but couldn't fathom what it could possibly be. The mage felt isolated just then, like she had an infectious disease and no one wanted to be around her. She decided to walk back to the house and read more spell books to take her mind off of things.

Day turned to evening and Arme went to go cook dinner. She really enjoyed this role and fulfilled it dutifully. Amy came next to her to watch this food preparation transpire. The girl appointed herself as assistant chef for Arme. The two made dinner as the others gathered around. Sounds of light conversation filled the kitchen/dining area. When Arme and Amy finished and started distributing the food, Lass landed in his chair, appearing from his special window. As they began eating, Arme tried engaging herself in conversation as well. Many times, Arme and Lass caught Ryan or Lire staring at the Mage. Arme blushed and looked away where as Lass glared at them with the fury of a thousand hells. When the meal was finished Arme yawned.

"Alright, I'm going to bed now," Arme announced headed off to bed. A chorus of "Good Night" arose with a few "Sleep Well"'s thrown in for good measure. Lass joined her shortly after; wrapping his arms around her from behind and sleeping in the nape of her neck.

A/N That's it for this chapter. No I'm not kidding. That's all I could do for it. I apologize but do know that I won't make another chapter for this story this short. I had to describe daily life before I could continue with the main plot. I'm sorry for the lack of chapter

Sincerely, Willowwhip


	3. The Reason

**Disclaimer:** Haiz everyone!!! I am back with a brand new chapter! I know it's been a while and I'm sorry for the wait but here it is^^ have fuuuun~ Btw, I don't own Grand Chase or anything like that.

The Reason

Days turned to weeks which turned to a month. The only thing that changed was how Lire treated her. She and Ryan stopped staring at her, but the female elf started being overly protective of her. Lire stuck to her like glue and was always trying to be helpful. It was nice, the attention, but she was getting over bearing. All that changed one day. Arme woke up late in the morning. When she tried to stand, she felt fatigued, light-headed and nauseous. She fell back down upon the bed sighing and felt her forehead. It didn't seem abnormally warm.

'Maybe I just woke up and tried to stand too quickly?' she reasoned with herself. Seeing as no other explanation arose, this she took to be the answer. She tried again, much slower this time, and came back with much better results. However, the battle mage was still nauseous. She took a bath and cleaned herself up in general in order to prepare for the day ahead. She needed to eat something so she headed back down stairs instead of her warm, soft bed. After she made it down to the stairs she saw Lire sitting at the table, waiting for Arme with a plate of food in front of her. She patted the chair beside her as if to say 'come sit by me!' Too tired to protest, Arme complied.

"Morning Arme! I saved some food for you from breakfast!" The elf exclaimed in an extremely cheerful voice. It was the exact wrong kind of cheerful for Arme at that point in time and she grimaced at the sound.

Lire looked at Arme with concern, "Arme, are you ok? You're usually up earlier than this and you do not look well," Arme sat down next to her and shook her head, "What's wrong?"

Arme observed the food in front of her. It was eggs, toast, and bacon, 'good enough for me. I'm hungry.'

She began to explain her situation, "Well, I woke up feeling dizzy and sick to my stomach. I felt my forehead but I don't have a fever," she added after Lire went to check Arme's temperature with the back of her hand. The Elven beauty confirmed this fact and continued to carry on with the concerned look. It was the perfect mask, "You should still take it easy, there's no telling if you'll get a fever later."

Arme nodded and ate her breakfast. She then went to go read a book on the couch. Lire sighed. She hated not being able to tell her friend what the problem was. She went to go check on her fiancé. He was in the usual clearing.

"She's exhibiting signs of illness now," Lire reported. Ryan looked up from a totem that he was actively carving.

Ryan smiled at Lire, "This is good. Soon we won't have to hide it anymore." He revealed the totem. It was one that prayed of safe arrival. Lire rolled her eyes and walked over to him. He opened his arms and she sat in his lap. They lay together for a while enjoying each other's touch. Contentment filled her entire being as he began to slowly rock her. Love stirred in the pit of her stomach and threatened to overtake her soul. She took his hands and began to hum an Elven melody. Ryan rested his head on her shoulder and cuddled in closer. Lire tilted her head back into his neck and his embrace. She wished she never had to leave. The song stopped when she fell asleep. Ryan laid down with the love of his life on his chest. Suddenly, Lire thought of Arme and jolted awake.

'I can't believe I fell asleep when Arme needs me,' She chastised herself. She groaned to alert Ryan to her needing to move. He groaned in response. He held her tighter, but let her go after a moment. She was right, she needed to go to Arme. Lire stood up slowly and stretched. Ryan looked like he was feeling a bit dejected. Lire leaned down and petted his head.

"I'm sorry Ryan, but I'm sure that at this point something has gone wrong and she needs assistance." His response was to roll over. Lire sighed and walked back to the castle. Her suspicions were correct. Arme was on the floor by the vomit- filled sink. There was blood on the edge of the counter and on the warlock's forehead. Lire felt genuine concern this time.

"Oh my Gods, Arme!" Lire yelled. The archer ran over to Arme and knelt. It looked like she had a minor head wound, nothing terrible. The injury did not bleed profusely and there was no blood on the ground. Never the less, Lire panicked. She ran down to Mari's lab, knowing that was the closest person nearby who would be in a definitive place. She banged on the door harshly and then opened it. Mari didn't even notice Lire, but that was about to change. She grabbed the hand of the rune caster. Mari turned and went to hit her. She stopped when she saw the look of horror on Lire's face.

Mari's eyes opened more, "What is wrong?" Lire didn't look at her and proceeded to drag Mari out of the laboratory.

"It's Arme, she's hurt!" she informed whilst running and dragging Mari with her. When they arrived at the scene, she saw the reason for Lire's panic. The two ran over to the mage and Mari took Arme into her arms after sitting down. The purple haired magician's head was resting on Mari's upper torso.

Mari directed Lire, "Hand me a towel and then go get the others please." Lire quickly complied to the gunslinger's desires. While she stayed inside to attend to Arme's head wound and check for any bodily abnormalities, Lire ran outside to alert the others of the events that had just transpired. She went to the training area first to find Elesis, Ronan, Jin, and Amy. They were playing couples verses couples. Lire ran to the side and yelled over the fighting.

"Arme is hurt! Come quickly!" She exclaimed running to the castle. Ronan was the first to react, following right on Lire's heels. The other three followed suit. From somewhere in the shadows of the forest, Lass hears this and moves with ninja speed to the house. Ryan did not, however, he became bored without Lire there and went to the house to see what was going on. He looked at the training grounds to see no one there. Confused, he walked faster to the castle.

Meanwhile, in the main hallway, Lass held Arme in what would have been bridal style. The difference was that her head was tilted up and into his chest instead of back and bent dramatically. Lass was in the process of carrying her to her room. Mari was following him. Seighart followed Mari. He'd woken up from the commotion and saw the three traveling through the hallway. Since Mari was going with them, he knew he'd get answers. Lass appeared calm but on the inside he was quite far from that. He was replaying everything that had just transpired.

_Lass swung in through his window as he always does. He looked to see Mari holding Arme in her arms almost protectively. Arme herself was not conscious and had a bandage over her head. Elesis was screaming for an explanation when Mari saw Lass. She motioned for him to come over._

"_Lass," the gunslinger started, "Take Arme to her room. I'll explain what is wrong when I get there."_

_The striker acquiesced and took his beloved up into his arms. She curled perfectly in his arms. The position made her look incredibly delicate. They proceeded to take Arme to her room. Mari told the others not to follow as it was a private matter. One that Arme would tell them when she was ready. When they got up the stairs, they saw Seighart. He looked at everyone confusedly before his gaze landed on Mari. He took to walking beside her. She explained what happened. Lass didn't turn to see his reaction because he was almost to Arme's room. _

Seighart sped back up and opened the door for the other three. Lass thanked him and Mari nodded smiling at the gentlemanly act. He smirked back and entered the room. Lass set Arme down on their bed, sat down beside her, and looked to Mari.

He glanced at Seighart, "I thought you wanted to talk to us alone?" Mari gave a small smirk.

"I mainly didn't want Elesis in here. She'd blow everything out of proportion and upset Arme even more than she may or may not be after she hears this. I have no idea how she's going to take this," Mari explained. The assassin gazed at his woman's unconscious face. She stirred from her stupor. She sat up and held her head. She looked around.

'I'm back in my room? Oh, Lass must have brought me here. Either that or Seighart… What's going on?'

The engineer looked at Arme, "Oh good, you're awake. That makes things convenient," Arme looked to the woman expectantly. She sighed before explaining, "You're probably wondering why you vomited and passed out," the mage nodded, "Well, It turns out that your contraceptive from a month or so ago didn't quite work as well as you hoped. You're pregnant." All of the other people's eyes widened. Seighart was the first to speak.

"What?!" Seighart exclaimed.

Mari shushed him before replying, "I can't believe that you didn't see this coming. Elesis or Jin I could understand, but you? You're an immortal. You should definitely have foreseen this from the symptoms I gave you in the hall," He was about to respond when he realized that she was right…like always. Mari wouldn't have given him a chance to respond for she turned to Arme immediately after.

"Would you like me to explain this to the others? I can understand if you are afraid to actually confront them yourself…namely Elesis. She can be quite judgmental sometimes. I'm not entirely sure of her reaction either." Arme looked at her with her eyes still widened.

"Do we have to tell them right away?" She asked. It was clear that she wanted to postpone it as much as possible.

"I'm afraid so," Mari answered, "They're all quite worried about you." As if on cue, Elesis broke down the door with a single kick. Lass reacted by placing himself between Arme and the overly emotional female. Seighart crept up on Elesis as she stormed over to Arme; ready to restrain her if necessary. The mage's expression turned from one of shock over finding out she's pregnant, to one of fear. Elesis, seeing that what she'd done softened her expression slightly. Her voice came out softer than her body language let on.

"You're pregnant?" Arme nodded, closing her eyes, "Weren't you using protection?" Arme nodded again, tears forming. Elesis touched her shoulder in a comforting gesture, "Don't cry, it's ok, we all make mistakes." Arme wiped her tears away. Lass relaxed and Seighart stepped away.

"So," Elesis started up again, "Are you keeping the baby?" Arme's eyes opened widely again and looked down.

Lass answered for her, "Of course we're keeping the baby. Why wouldn't we?" Elesis frowned at him.

"I was asking Arme. SOME people might not be so enthusiastic to have a child at age twenty." She said before turning back to face the still shocked girl. Lass glared at the sword master.

"Excuse me," he started, "but that's MY baby too. I have a say in whether we're keeping it or not."

Elesis started to lose her temper, "Ok, everyone out. I want to talk to her alone." The others started to get out, but Lass stood up.

He yelled at Elesis, "I just find out that my GIRLFRIEND is PREGNANT and you're telling me to GET OUT OF MY OWN ROOM!?" Elesis stared levelly back at him, prepared to fight if need be. Lass' glare intensified before he walked out of the room, slamming to door harshly behind him. Amy and Lire tried to calm him down and he pushed them off. He ran, jumped off of the kitchen table, and out his personal ninja window. Amy sighed dejectedly and Jin comforted her. Lire hugged Ryan around the waist and leaned into him. Ronan sighed quietly and walked outside to calm Lass down. Seighart became dragged by Mari.

"Hey, hey, hey! Where are you taking me?" Seighart asked, not really fighting back.

Mari did not slow down, "You're helping me catch up with my lab work. This has gotten me behind."

Seighart became mildly afraid, but didn't struggle. He knew where struggling got him. It slowed down her progress and made her run more experiments on him. He took to carrying on conversation while he still could.

"About earlier…" he started. Mari glanced back at him, "I was in isolation for all those years. I don't generally work with or think about pregnancy. And second, I think you have the wrong impression about Elesis," Mari's eyes widened. He was declaring that she'd been wrong about something?! "Elesis isn't such a hot head that she'd attack Arme verbally OR physically; especially not about something like this. Elesis would be more inclined to attack Lass for hurting 'her' Arme. They are a lot closer than they let on." Mari contemplated this. She thought about the events that had just transpired and realized that she'd been wrong. It made sense that Elesis would be defensive of Arme. They were part of the original three that made up the group, right?

"Mmm, Seighart, you're right. I overestimated Elesis' violent temper."

Seighart shook his head despite the fact that Mari couldn't see it, "Don't worry about it. You're the newest member. On top of that you don't exactly pay much attention to people's behavioral patterns. You're usually absorbed with your lab work." The engineer thought about this. She realized that he was right once again. She made a mental note to spend more time with the group and thanked Seighart, blushing.

* * *

"So have you decided on if you're keeping the baby?"

Arme looked down at her abdomen. She sighed, "Elesis, what would you do if I decided that I wanted to keep the baby?" She looked back up to see Elesis' face go from taken aback and then to confused.

"Arme, why would you as--," something inside of Elesis' brain connected. Her face became clear but dismayed, "Arme, are you afraid that I'd force you to leave if you chose to go through with it?" The mage looked back down. Elesis chuckled bitterly and turned away from her, "You honestly think, after everything we've been through, I'd abandon you over something like this? You must be out of your mind. Either that or having one hell of a mood swing," She looked back to Arme who looked back up at her shortly after, "You will always have a home with me. You're my best friend… You are stuck with me until death do us part." She declared the last part with a light smile. Arme chuckled emotionally as her eyes welled with more tears. She hugged Elesis around the neck tightly and began to cry.

"Elesis I'm so scared! What if I am a bad mother? What if the Mage guild comes to take my baby away from me?" Arme exclaimed in fear.

Elesis returned the hug and rocked comfortingly, "You'll be a fine mother, and you have all of us to help you. You don't have to worry about the guild either. We'll take care of them if they do come." Arme was soothed but continued to cry. She was not entirely convinced that they'd be able to fend off the guild on their own. That's how her mother and father died. She was lucky that Clarice fell in love with her on first sight. Otherwise she would have died of starvation or dehydration. She cried for a couple more minutes before she felt something rise in her stomach. She pushed away from Elesis and ran to the nearest bathroom. Elesis followed her all the while and was calling out for the mage. She made it just in time and promptly vomited in the toilet. Elesis, who'd been confused, now understood her hastiness. She walked over to the vomiting woman and held back her hair. She stroked her back to bring her some comfort. It worked and the vomiting slowly stopped. Arme went to go clean herself and the toilet up and Elesis helped. As Arme finished, she thought of something that brought tears back to her eyes.

She turned to Elesis, "What if Lass stops loving me? What if I get fat and ugly? What if I gross him out too badly? What if Lass changes his mind about wanting this baby?"

Elesis' face turned to a look of fury for a moment, "Then I'll castrate him with my bare hands. But…the possibility of that happening is low." Arme looked at Elesis for a moment

"What do you mean 'the possibility of that happening is low'?" Elesis shook her head.

"Have you seen the way he looks at you in general, or notice how upset he got when I told him to leave?" She asked, "That boy might be cold, but he DEFINITELY loves you." Arme smiled and wiped her face after a moment.

She laughed darkly, "I'm going to have to deal with these mood swings for nine months." Elesis smiled.

"Come on Arme, let's get you something to eat. You should be hungry after vomiting twice in a row." As if on cue, Arme's and Elesis' stomachs growled at the thought of food. The two shared a laugh before heading to the kitchen to fix lunch. The two started carrying on a lighthearted conversation of all the benefits of pregnancy. For example, one could be a total bitch to the other and that person cannot complain. They get to go shopping for clothes. She doesn't have to worry about Amy giving her a death hug. Babies are cute, Etcetera. By the time they got to the kitchen, Arme was in good spirits again. They gleefully fixed lunch and ate. The others congregated slowly. They were not certain of Elesis' or Arme's moods and did not want to set either of them off. Amy was an exception. As soon as she saw that Arme was happy she ran over and glomped lightly on Arme.

"Congratulations! You're having a baby! I can't wait to go clothing shopping with you!" She yelled. Arme was shocked and then returned the hug.

Arme had to warn her though, "Amy, you need to be gentler, babies are fragile; especially fetuses." Amy gasped, pulling away from the mage and covering her mouth with both hands. She then leaned down calmer and hugged her gently.

"Sorry," the siren whispered. Elesis giggled next to her. Amy was being comical again. She tiptoed over to the counter where lunch had been served and then tiptoed back. She sat down as quietly as possible next to Arme.

They ate quietly. Amy continued to whisper as if her voice would kill the baby. It probably would if she had her kleiophone. Arme remembered a question that had arisen in her mind earlier.

"Hey Elesis," she started. She received a 'mmm?' coming from the woman, "How did you find out that I was pregnant?"

Amy answered for her, seeing as her mouth was full, "Lire and Ryan knew already," Arme's eyes widened, "They both smelled it on you, but Ryan was able to identify it whereas Lire couldn't. He told her that one day they were staring at you." Arme nodded. It all made sense now. That explained Lire's peculiar behavior. She made a mental note to thank the elf the next time she was seen.

After they finished lunch, Arme headed back to her room to nap, she was feeling rather fatigued. Elesis went out to train in the specified area. Amy went to go practice her music after finding Jin.

~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*

Five hours had passed since Ronan set out to find Lass and he finally succeeded. The thief was sitting in a tree brooding. Ronan sat underneath him, knowing that Lass would hear him even if he wasn't standing right next to him.

"You know that she only did that to ensure that Arme wouldn't feel pressured, right?" Ronan asked. Lass didn't answer, "Elesis has problems with male humanoids. Whenever someone is vulnerable and a male is in the vicinity, she feels the need to protect them. It's probably due to her father abusing her as a child," Lass still had no reaction, "I agree that you have a say in the baby's life. I also think that Elesis was right in talking to her one on one though. She should have done that from the get-go. She only has Arme's best interests in mind." Lass jumped in front of the abyss knight and glowered at him. Mixed in his glare though was something else, pain and fear.

"Then why the hell did she enter the way she did?" Lass asked, averting his gaze from Ronan. He stood and leaned against the tree.

He looked down for a moment before looking back up, "You don't realize just how attached Elesis has become to Arme, have you?" Lass looked at Ronan with mild surprise in his eyes, "Arme is Elesis' best friend; the closest, most loyal friend she's ever had. If Arme were in any sort of danger or pain, Elesis would be there for her in a heartbeat," Ronan chuckled, "She once told me that she contemplated falling in love with Arme; then she met me. Yeah, they're close. From her perspective, you were threatening 'her' Arme. You're lucky she didn't throw you out the conveniently placed window right next to her." Lass mulled this all over in his head. He then turned around and headed to the training area to talk to Elesis. Ronan considered chasing the man, but after seeing his body language, he wasn't looking for a fight; he was looking to assuage the tension between himself and Elesis. The dragon knight trailed behind him because he wanted to spend time with Elesis after their talk. Lass appeared next to the training field, looking away from Elesis. The spearman did nothing about this; she kept chipping away at the dummy. After about five minutes of this She stopped and looked up at him. He then turned around to face her. She took out the ponytail she had and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Lass, I'm sorry about barging in on you earlier…and about telling you to get out…and about implying that you had no say in your own baby's life," Elesis said in a fed up voice. She knew he wasn't going to start the apology, but it didn't hurt to try. Lass nodded in acceptance.

He then did something that Elesis was not quite expecting, "I'm sorry for over-reacting. Thank you for not blowing the door off its hinges when you came in." Elesis blushed.

"Yeah," she started after rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, "sorry about that. I get pretty upset when there's something wrong with Arme." Lass snorted once and looked away.

"Ignoring the fact that that was the understatement of the year, truce?" Lass asked with his hand outstretched, walking up to Elesis. She nodded, then took his hand and shook it, "Any idea on where I might find Arme?" Lass asked.

Elesis removed her hand and looked up at the castle, "Arme said she was gonna go lay down. I am assu--," Lass was off, headed towards their room. As Elesis watched, Ronan came up behind her; wrapping his arms around her neck and pulling her into an embrace. The woman sighed and nuzzled Ronan's chest with the back of her head.

"He better not hurt her. I will fuck him up," Elesis stated with a frown. Ronan chuckled and then led her onto the training field.

"Come on, fighting will take your mind off of things."

Elesis smiled; he always knew how to make her happy. With that, they began to spar.

#~*~#*~#*~*~#*~

Lass jumped through the trees and into his bedroom. As expected, Arme was fast asleep on their bed. He crawled next to her and wrapped an arm around her resting form. He laid a hand over her abdomen.

'Our baby, huh?' Lass thought, 'Things are about to get really interesting around here.'

He subconsciously began to rub his lover's belly; thinking of everything that had to be done. Unfortunately for him, this action woke her up. Her heart began to race and she flipped around quickly. Lass looked surprised, but they both calmed down after a second.

Arme let out a sigh of relief, "Lass you scared me." The thief rubbed her back for a moment

"I'm sorry," he apologized. He seemed to be doing that a lot today.

"'sokay," Arme kissed his chin, seeing as it was as far up as she could go without trying, "I love you."

Lass ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her forehead, "I love you too."

Seeing as there was nothing left that they knew to talk about, they both drifted off to sleep.

**A/N:** Holy hell! This chapter was eight pages long! EIGHT PAGES!! FOUR THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED FOURTY-SEVEN WORDS!!! Unbelievable. I'll be updating this story more than Origins until I complete it. I am itching to get to my plot twists. Hopefully the length of this chapter makes up for the shortness of the other one ^^; As always, RRE.

Forevah, Willowwhip.


	4. Princesses, dreams, and heartache OH MY

Disclaimer: SIMS 2 HURRY THE HEX UP!!! Sorry people, I want to play the Sims 2. While it's downloading, you get another chapter! Lucky you! I do not own Grand Chase. P.S. They have the modern conveniences. Can you even imagine what it'd be like to be pregnant in mid-evil times? UGH.

It was four in the morning. Was morning sickness supposed to start this early? Arme emptied the previous night's dinner into the toilet closest to her bedroom. Lass walked in sleepily behind her, knelt beside her and stroked her back; coaxing the vomit out of its hiding place.

"*Blech!*" the sound of Arme once again heaving into the toilet filled the confined area. Lass still rubbed her back comfortingly and held her hair, "Thank you. *blech*" He said a hasty 'you're welcome' after this next round of vomiting. She sat holding the toilet rim for a moment before deciding that she was done and getting up to brush her teeth. Lass inspected the toilet. Deciding that it was clean enough, he stood up and walked behind Arme. He put his head on her shoulder and she laid back into Lass' embrace. He wrapped his arms protectively around her abdomen

"Are you ok?" Lass asked. She relaxed in his warm arms. She nodded silently because she was still brushing the vile taste out of her mouth. His arms felt so good on her tired and sore body. They still had the body heat from their bed. Her warmth had been sucked out of her from the vomiting. A couple minutes later she finished brushing her teeth. She spat out into the sink. Arme placed her soft hands over his.

"I love you ," she declared in almost a moan she was tired and hungry, more so the latter. Arme would have been content to stay there forever, but her stomach demanded to be fed…at that exact moment.

Lass chuckled as her stomach growled for food, "I love you too. Let's make breakfast." He let go of her body and took hold of her hand. He led the now blushing Arme to the kitchen gently. When they reached the common room, Lass tried to lead her to the couch. The mage however had a different idea. Lass thought of all the horrible things that could go wrong in the kitchen. He hovered over her.

"You know," Lass started in a sly tone, "I could cook that for you." His voice was dripping with honey.

Arme was completely oblivious, "Nope, that's fine. I like to cook." Lass frowned. It was not the answer he was expecting. He tried again.

"Well, you know I never do anything around here anyways. Let me help at least." Arme paused for a moment.

'Lass never offers anything twice. What is…he must be worried about me. I did faint and hurt my head yesterday. That must be it. It's the only reason he's being so patient about my answer.'

"Sure," she answered, "Could you get the higher up things for me like the skillet and seasonings?" Lass asked what seasonings, "Oh just the cloves and cinnamon. I'm making pancakes because the idea of eggs is appalling to me right now." She went to gather the ingredients necessary, a bowl, and a cooking spoon. Lass got the other things for her. The skillet was hanging from the wall and the spices were on a shelf. He easily located the cloves and cinnamon. Arme was already mixing ingredients together. She hummed a light tune as she did so. He loved that about her. She was almost always happy. That made him happy. He didn't know how Ronan could be with Elesis. She was so headstrong and usually feeling negative emotions. He brought his attention back to the purple haired goddess in front of him. She had her hand outstretched to him.

"Can I please have the seasonings now?" Lass blinked twice before handing them to her. She dashed them into the mixture and then set them back on the counter. She turned the heat on under the pan and cut some butter into it for lubrication. She stirred the mixture more and then put it down. She opened the refrigerator looking for something else to put in it. Plain buttermilk pancakes were just that, plain. She saw an apple next to some blueberries and grabbed them. She grabbed a fist full of blueberries and tossed them into the batter. She repeated the action twice more before putting up the delicious orbs of blue. She tried to grab a cutting board and found it was too high for her. As she was about to pout and grab a chair, Lass came up beside her and plucked it down for her. She smiled at him and began to peel the apple. Lass stood mesmerized by her nimble hand movements. She finished peeling the apple and rushed over to the pan to make sure the butter hadn't and wasn't going to caramelize. She sighed in relief and returned to the apple. She cored it and quickly chopped it into pieces. After that she picked up the board and slid the edible apple pieces into the batter. She stirred it quickly and got out a scraper.

On to making the actual pancakes; she picked up the bowl and poured a normal sized dough lump onto the pan. It spread out and Arme swiped the bowl with the rubber spatula. She cleaned her area and deposited the apple core/peels into the trash. She walked over to the utensil drawer and got out a regular spatula. She looked at the pancake and decided it could be flipped. She yawned once before flipping it quickly. She turned and saw that Lass was still there. He was watching her intently.

"Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise, "I didn't expect you to still be here. You don't ever stay this long." Lass shrugged. He didn't want her to know how worried he actually was. She sat down in a chair at the table and stuck her head on her arms. Lass joined her shortly after. Arme almost dozed off before remembering she still had a pancake on the stove. She got up and grabbed a plate. She flipped the pancake on to the plate and reapplied another one to the pan. She stood by the stove this time and repeated the entire process until all of the batter was used. About thirty pancakes were made in the process. In the mean time, everyone had woken up and sat at the dining table. Someone had put pancake eating condiments on the surface they were to be eating upon. They waited patiently to be served. Amy got up abruptly and ran over to Arme. She grabbed the plate out of her hands and started distributing the food. The warlock was confused for a moment , but sat down.

Amy made her way around the table with the food. When she reached Arme's position, however, she gave the girl twice as much as she would normally eat. Upon questioning Amy winked.

"You have to eat extra. You're eating for two now, remember?" She replied. Arme looked down at her abdomen, wondering if she could contain so much food. She grabbed one of the syrup containers and put a decent amount on. She picked up a fork and knife located at the center of the table and ate slowly. Lass ate slowly just as she did. He finished before her and watched her eat. Arme started to get mildly disturbed by his intense gaze. She almost put down her fork, but she was hungrier than she thought before. The pancakes were calling her.

'Arme! Eat us! We're delicious and we have BLUUUUUEBERRIES!! YOU LOOOOOVE BLUEEEEBERRIES!!!' She imagined them saying. She also imagined how hilarious it would be if they actually had said that and smiled to herself; suppressing a giggle. The others contemplated her sanity before remembering that she was pregnant and prone to mood swings. They walked out, going to do their daily routine, except for Lass. He was going to stay by her side every minute of every day for the rest of her pregnancy and beyond. He was determined of this! If Arme didn't like it, she'd have to deal with it because there was no WAY that he was going to allow her to faint and hurt herself again.

Arme finished eating and put the dishes in the sink. As she stood up she felt a wave of nausea and dizziness wash over her and remembered the fact that she was pregnant. She placed a hand on her forehead after bracing herself on the sink and waited for it to pass. Luckily it did, but not before Lass took notice.

He stood up quickly as he saw her place her weight on her arms, "Arme are you ok?" He asked. He was at her side in an instant. She nodded slowly. He wrapped her in his arms and supported her seeing as she was starting to subconsciously sway.

"Maybe you should lie down on the couch," Lass suggested as more of a command. He picked her up bridal style and carried her over to said object. He laid with her his abdomen and noticed she was blushing.

"Lass…" she started, "are you certain all of this is necessary? I'm pregnant, not in fatal condition."

Lass nodded. It was completely necessary. Arme sighed and looked down. She might as well enjoy being treated like a princess. She realized how exhausted she was and fell asleep with her face nuzzling his neck.

The man looked down at his lovely lady's sleeping head and kissed it gently. He was so happy that she was his. He was grateful that she wanted to keep that baby. He was determined to correct everything wrong that was in his child hood with his child. Although he realized this was wishful thinking, he knew that he'd do a better job than his father who ran away. The coward left Lass' mother to raise him on her own and she couldn't protect him adequately when Kaze'aze took him away. Just thinking about it sent him to a dimension of pissed off he'd visited repetitively over the years. He was the only person that Lass wouldn't have minded killing as Kaze's vessel. He was also the only one who she let survive. He wrapped his arms around Arme's abdomen for the second time that day. Lass couldn't wait to actually feel movement there. He was anticipating it as much as he was Arme's next breath which was due…right then. Oh yeah, life couldn't get much better for him. He drifted off to dream of a young girl in a flower field.

_Lass stood in a pure white room. A little girl sitting on a white picnic blanket wearing a white dress sniffed a white rose with a content smile. Lass didn't notice immediately, but the girl smiled widely upon seeing him and stood abruptly._

'_Man, this room seriously has a white theme going on,' he observed._

"_Hi Daddy! Wanna play?" asked the little girl. She was around five years old and had mostly silver hair. Her roots were purple. The child ran up to Lass who found himself incapable of controlling his own actions. Fearful for this child's life, he tried to tell her to run away. What if Kaze'aze had possessed his body? He couldn't say a word on his own. He found himself acquiescing to the child's request as she took his hand in her small soft one. _

'_So much like Arme's,' he thought to himself as the scenery changed to a much more familiar one._

_Lass took in the new atmosphere. They appeared to be in the Violet Guild's flower meadow, but all the flowers were white. The child let go of his hand and ran off straight ahead._

"_Bet yah can't catch me!" she yelled running away. Her long hair swayed like Elesis' did when down as she dashed. Lass then went to mock chase the girl, allowing her to believe she was actually faster than him for a moment. When her endurance faltered, she tripped. Before she could fall though, Lass was holding her in an instant. He scooped her up into the air after coming to a stop, flipped her to face him, and then planted a kiss on her cheek. The girl giggled erratically as Lass brought her close to his chest. The ground morphed in front of him._

"_Can we go rolling Daddy?" she asked. Her eyes were pleading, "I've never been rolling. All of this was created from Mommy's memories because I don't have any of my own. Mommy thinks rolling is fun. There are a couple memories where you would roll with her. I want to roll too!" Lass nodded, still not in control of his body. It seemed that Kaze'aze was not controlling him. Perhaps this child was? _

_Lass shook the thought from his head, 'That's impossible. This is my dream isn't it?' He tucked the child into his chest and she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He got down on to his back and asked if she was ready. She felt apprehensive but nodded anyways. Lass started rolling down the hill and she was squealing in delight and fear. He was laughing at this but made a point to hold onto her lest she get lost or something. As they stopped at the bottom of the hill so did the noise. His 'daughter' did not uncurl herself from him but did loosen her grip on his neck. She nuzzled into his chest and he rested his hand on her back. He stroked her hair and she struggled to keep herself awake. She looked up after a moment with sleepy eyes._

"_Daddy, it's dangerous for you to stay here any longer. I'm sending you back. I love you,"_

_Lass smiled down at her, "I love you too."_

He groaned as the light weight of his 'daughter' was replaced by Arme. While she wasn't exactly heavy at one hundred twenty-six or so pounds, that was much heavier than the little girl. Arme looked up at him with a glazed look in her eyes. Lass smiled at her lightly and she smiled back. Her smile faded and eyes widened as she felt an intense wave of nausea hit her full force. She practically ran out of the room. Lass sighed and knew what was going on. He got up and went to the nearest bathroom and sure enough, Arme was there. He sighed again before repeating what happened earlier that day.

Lass helped her stand after she finished expelling her breakfast. He kissed her cheek and she walked to the sink. She thoroughly brushed her teeth as Lass rubbed her back. Arme went to walk out the door, but fell backwards when she had another dizzy spell. Lass caught her up in an instant and lifted her off the floor. She did not struggle. She moaned half in annoyance with her weakness and half in pleasure towards the attention she was receiving.

"What's wrong?" Lass asked.

Arme looked up to answer, "This dizzy, puking thing is getting old. Is it really supposed to be this extreme?" Before he could answer, Lire came running down the hall. She stopped before the couple.

"Um," she began, "Am I interrupting something?" Lass shook his head, "Good. Arme, I need to know if you still want to be one of my bridesmaids." Lire's tone indicated that she would be mildly upset if she said 'no'.

Arme groaned, she didn't want to deal with this right now, "Lire, can I think about it and get back to you later? I'm not exactly thinking clearly right now." The girl nodded quickly.

"Well, tomorrow I'm going with the others to bridal shops in the general area. If you want, you can come. We'll be leaving around noon," Lire offered. Arme nodded slowly; if she were to go faster, her dizzy spell would get worse. Even that small movement sent her reeling inside her head. Black spots filled Arme's vision. She didn't have time to inform Lass of the situation before her consciousness was stolen from her.

She awoke next to Lass in their bed. They were cuddled up under the covers together. Her stomach doing a flawless impression of Ryan was the only motivation for movement. She got out of bed slowly as not to awaken Lass. She wanted to prove to at least herself that she could make it to the common room alone. She walked two feet before Jin rounded a corner and saw her walking alone. Jin, being a gentleman, chose to escort her to her desired location; the kitchen. They made light conversation. Eventually the topic turned to Lire's wedding.

He put his hands behind his head as he walked, "So, are you still going to be a bridesmaid?" Arme looked down.

"I…I don't know yet," she confessed, "I mean, I want to be and so does she but…I don't know if it's a good idea. I'm afraid I'll just weigh everyone down. I don't want to pass out in the middle of a store. Can you imagine us going out to find a caterer and vomiting after being shown a selection? That'd be embarrassing and gross."

Jin nodded thoughtfully, "Well, yeah, there's that. Also, imagine the later parts of your pregnancy. You'd limit the types of dresses Lire could get because you'd need one that could be maternity. Also, when's the date of that wedding? Eight months from now? Doesn't it conflict with your due date?" Arme's eyes widened in horror, "Lire is set on that particular day to be wed. She CAN'T move it. If you were a guest, the impact of your water breaking would be much less than if you were a bridesmaid. On TOP of all of that, what about your body? Any bridesmaid outfit would be extremely uncomfortable if you were pregnant. They are doing an Elven wedding too. From what I hear, they're long as hell." Arme was dumbstruck. Jin pretty much just told her not to be a bridesmaid and she couldn't even argue against him. All she was going to do was be a burden to Lire and potentially ruin her entire wedding. This thought made her cry. The pregnant hormones didn't help the matter. Jin looked down and saw her crying. Tears rolled down her face as she tried futilely to hold them in. He sighed and pulled Arme into a hug.

"Come on, I didn't mean anything mean or bad. Please stop crying."

Arme just sobbed and chocked over her words, "But. You. Were. RIGHT! I'm going to ruin her wedding!"

Jin slapped himself. He really should have been more careful with his words. Amy was always telling him to be more sensitive.

He thought his next words more carefully, "No, you won't necessarily. I was just saying it's probably safer if you weren't in the ceremony. That doesn't mean you can't still help her as a friend. Lire will understand." Arme looked up with shining eyes.

"You promise?" she asked sniffing.

This is where he got cocky, "'me, I promise you, she'll understand. If not then I'll stand in town square in my underwear and sing 'I feel pretty'." Arme giggled and smiled.

"There's that cute smile, stop crying," he said wiping the tears away with his thumb. He placed his hand in the middle of the top of her back and led her back to the kitchen.

* * *

Lass woke up alone. It took him a moment to process that Arme should have been there. After about fifteen seconds of thinking, he jumped out of the bed like a ninja. He ran to the nearest bathroom in case she'd gotten sick and he just didn't wake up. Not finding her there he started storming the hallways near panicking. He came across Ronan and grabbed him by the arms.

"Have you seen Arme?" the thief asked in a breathy tone. Ronan's eyes widened in surprise before answering. He pointed in the direction of the common room.

"Um," Ronan started, "She's in the common room. She just finished eating lunch and is working with Amy on dinner." Lass let out a breath of relief and thanked the abyss knight. He smiled and nodded waving before heading off to find his favorite savior.

Lass walked into the common room with a calm expression. No one noted his presence. The only people inside were Jin, Amy, and of course Arme. Seighart and Mari, he assumed were downstairs in the lab Elesis was probably still in the training field or in the hot tub relaxing. Ryan and Lire were probably in the forest singing to nature. It had to be around seven at night because the sun was setting. Arme and Amy were almost dancing in the way that they moved about the kitchen. Lass sat down next to Jin and watched the girls as they prepared two deliciously roasted harpies. About an hour of more dancing and the harpies were done cooking. Arme set out to serve it and put the rest of the meat in the center of the table. She knew there would be no leftovers. Elesis' favorite food was roasted harpy. Amy grabbed her kleiophone off of the wall of weapons and walked outside. As soon as she was a safe distance away from Arme she screamed into it.

"Dinner's served! We're having roasted harpy!" she exclaimed before skipping back to the weapon wall. She sat next to Jin and kissed him on the cheek. Arme started eating. She was getting hungry because she only had a light lunch and she'd puked everything else up earlier. Elesis came in damp about 30 seconds later. Her feet were covered in dirt and grass clippings. She rushed over to the table and dug into her premade plate. Ronan came in from the hot tub area less wet and calmer. He sat next to Elesis and thanked Arme and Amy for dinner. Lire and Ryan came in together and sat down together. At that point, everyone was eating. Where were Mari and Seighart?

Seighart came storming up the stairs after slamming the laboratory door. Mari opened it shortly after and shut it much gentler. She ran up the stairs.

"Seighart, can't we just-," Mari started, trying to reason with the enraged male.

He turned around, his eyes on fire, "NO Mari. I'm DONE. I've had enough! I'm tired and sore! Good night!" With that he headed up the stairs and slammed his bedroom door once he reached it. She sighed and joined the others for dinner.

"I'm sorry about that," Mari explained, "I guess I ran one too many experiments on him. He'll be fine tomorrow." With that she grabbed a piece of harpy meat like the argument didn't even happen. Since she was not concerned, no one else found the need to be worried either so they went back to eating. Arme remembered that she had to ask Lire about being a bridesmaid.

"Um, Lire?" Arme started after swallowing her food. The elf looked up at her, "Would it be ok…if I wasn't a bridesmaid? It'd probably be-," Lire's eyes welled with tears and she ran out of the room, "Jin! You promised she'd understand!" she exclaimed heartbroken. Ryan ran after his fiancé. Everyone else looked at Arme and Jin.

Jin looked at the place in which Lire disappeared to and sighed, "I guess this means I have to go sing 'I feel pretty' soon. I'm sorry. I honestly thought she would understand if you didn't want to." This did nothing to comfort Arme. She ran after where Lire and Ryan exited- which happened to be the hallway. After trying their bedroom and searching the hallways, she decided that they had left the building. Arme just walked to her room downtrodden. Arme lay on the bed to cry. What had she done? Lass joined shortly after to comfort her. The two soon found themselves in a deep, emotional pain induced sleep. Arme felt badly because of what she did to Lire. Lass felt bad because he couldn't make her feel better. He ended up just being a silent companion throughout the night.

A/N: Heyyy~ I know Utsuro. I was going to give you the next day but I have decided that I'll do that next chapter. I hope you RRE'd because if you didn't, I failed T.T bai waves


	5. I'm sorry I hurt you

Disclaimer: In case you hadn't noticed, I do not own Grand Chase ^w^ If I did, the Battle Mage skill tree would be out by now or at least the alchemist, gawd. Cure lvl 3 ftw!!! Btw, this chapter is dedicated to my boyfriend James who wanted me to write a MarixSeighart fanfic. Here you go love, enjoy ^.~ Happy premature anniversary XD.

I'm sorry I hurt you

Arme woke up to the worst case of morning sickness on the face of the planet; or at least that's what it felt like to her. She had Lass cancel with Lire for going to the bridal shops. She didn't have to though; the woman would have gone without her anyways. Though she was no longer mad at the mage, the pain wouldn't subside. As result, Arme spent all day either in bed or in the bathroom. Her emotional distress towards Lire made her more ill than normal. Lass would bring her food to eat. The men all went out to go tuxedo hunting as well. The only people in the castle that day were Arme, Lass, Seighart, and Mari.

The rune caster got out of bed and looked at her lover. He was sleeping with a deep set frown on his face. Mari sighed and went about getting ready. She had to go to a farther away bathroom seeing as Arme was occupying that one. Gods knew that she did NOT want to take a shower in there.

After her shower she brushed her teeth and hair. She was running the tests and things that she would need to do that day through her head. She went and made breakfast for herself. As she was approaching the lab with food in hand, she remembered all too well the argument from yesterday.

"_Ok Mari, I'm really feeling bad now. Can we please stop and do this tomorrow?" Seighart pleaded. Mari didn't listen to him. She put another potion in his hands._

_She looked at him with cold eyes, "Drink this. Tell me what happens." Seighart sighed and drank the potion. Why couldn't he have fallen in love with a normal, sane girl? One who'd stay in the kitchen and cook him things he wanted to eat like a good wife? He couldn't be satisfied with normal. Now he's another girl's toy. She probably didn't even love him. She looked at him expectantly._

"_Well? Anything?" She asked. Just as she said that his stomach started to churn. She quickly grabbed a deactivator chemical and handed it to him. He gladly accepted it and took it. It was too late, he fell to his knees and started to expel the chemicals. Mari looked on and sighed. She got a towel from a nearby area and cleaned up his mess. He looked at her bitterly._

"_You know," he started, "This vomiting is getting really old. I'm literally sick and tired of this." He got up and walked out the laboratory door. He ended up slamming it and storming up the stairs. Mari followed after him._

"_Seighart, can't we just-," She tried to reason with the male; most likely afraid of losing her test subject._

_He turned around quickly, nearly losing his balance in the power struggle between fury, pride, and dizziness, "NO Mari. I'm DONE. I've had enough! I'm tired and sore! Good night!" Mari looked at him with mild fear and sadness. He stormed up the stairs and out of her line of sight._

Coming out of her daze, Mari sighed. She felt bad about last night. She knew she was pushing her limits. She shook off the guilt and proceeded to her lab. Because of the incident last night, she decided to let him sleep in. She felt him toss and turn, so she knew he'd use it. She did as much lab work as humanly possible to keep from disturbing him. She prepared to close up the lab reports. She would be needed more outside of her dungeon as time progressed. These last experiments were going to be her last. She finished up about one thirty in the afternoon. She figured she might as well go and get Seighart. Mari looked in the common room but couldn't find him. She'd been expecting to see him on the couch. She figured he'd be up already so she didn't check the bedroom. She went outside and glanced at the training area. As anticipated, he was not there. Seighart hated to train. The only time he did so was when he was burning with anger; which made it a possibility. She felt perplexed as she checked the forest. He wasn't there either. Angry, she stormed back to the castle. She looked through the halls and still couldn't find him. Mari thought of all the places he could be and figured that the bedroom was probably the most likely. Perhaps he hadn't gotten up yet.

She was near her room so all the rune caster had to do was turn a couple corners and she was at her door. She opened it and sure enough, the slacker was sleeping soundly. He turned away from the door as she opened it whimpering. Mari sighed and walked over to him.

He groaned louder when she approached, "Mari, I hurt." She ignored him and shook his shoulder lightly.

"Come on, you have to get up." Is what she would have said if he hadn't cried out in pain upon the movement of his body. She was confused, but she had to inspect him. She gently reached under him and turned Seighart to face her. She was not prepared for what she saw.

His skin was glistening with sweat. His face was contorted in a grimace of pain. He looked up at her with a helpless look in his gaze; tears in his eyes.

"Please Mari," he begged, "It really hurts," She saw the aching in his face. Instead of ignoring the man and pulling him out of bed, her features visibly softened and she felt tears prick the back of her eyes. She was the reason behind his discomfort. Her careless nature put the only person for whom she shared a mutual love in pain. Why couldn't she have just listened earlier? She caressed his face with the back of her hand. He had a moderate fever. Seighart seemed comforted by Mari's touch, despite everything that had just transpired. She cupped his face.

She sighed, "Oh Seighart. I'm so sorry. If I'd known this would be the outcome, I'd never had you drink those potions. Where does it hurt?" Seighart put both of his hands on his abdomen and closed his eyes.

Mari understood this signal and moved his hands. She took her hand from his face and lifted his shirt. She used both hands to try to assess the situation. Apparently the deactivation potion had reacted with his stomach acid and raised the pH level of it too high. He also had other chemicals in his system from earlier that were being registered as poisons. She needed to counter his stomach acid and put it back to normal levels. Then she needed to have him detoxify the rest of the chemicals in his body. Because he was immortal, she rarely gave his toxin levels a thought. They could never kill him. She went to stroke his belly but he winced away from the contact. She looked up sympathetically at her love.

"Seig," she started, "I'm going to give you something to lower the pH level of your stomach acid. I'm going to give you something to eat and then take care of you from there. Those things should give you some relief okay?" He nodded and grabbed her hand again. He longed for the comfort it brought. She kissed his overly warm forehead before walking out.

Having gotten away from him, the full guilt of his illness reared its ugly head. She felt her soul crushed by the guilt until it was a powder, then incinerated with greek fire. She was outright bawling when she reached the common room. She stopped as soon as she saw Lass. He was completely absorbed in making a sandwich for his love. He didn't see her stifling a sob. She walked over and started preparing a soup for Seighart. Lass didn't notice her presence until she was in his way of reaching Arme.

"Hi Mari," he said. He didn't wait for her to respond.

She decided to make a regular harpy noodle type of soup. She grabbed vegetables, harpy meat, and seasonings for the soup. She set them on the counter in front of a cutting board. Cutting the vegetables and meat up into small pieces, she brought water to a boil in a pot. She put pasta noodles in the pot and waited for them to be flexible. Mari then slid the vegetables into the noodle/water mixture. She seasoned the water, not even needing to taste it after all those years of cooking for herself. She proceeded in cleaning up as the food finished cooking. She grabbed a bedside tray from below the kitchen sink. After cleaning that off she stirred the food to make sure it didn't burn or scald. She saw that it had finished cooking and went about serving it. Mari turned off the heat. Quickly, she went downstairs to retrieve the base she would use to counteract the excessive acid in his stomach. She mixed it in with the food that had been served and placed it on the tray. She remembered his fever right as she went to take the food upstairs. Mari got a small bowl and a dish cloth from a cabinet and drawer respectively. She filled the bowl half way with water and then put in a couple ice cubes to keep it cold. After that she put the cloth into the water. The gun slinger couldn't think of anything else so she put the bowl on the tray and headed up the stairs.

Mari opened the bedroom door to find Seighart bent over the edge of the bed dry heaving. She felt another pang of sympathy and set the tray on the floor next to him. Carefully, she picked him up and set him in a sitting position on the bed. She took the bowl of water and set it on the bedside table. Then she adjusted the bed tray to where it was stable over Seighart's lap. He cautiously lifted the bowl of soup to his lips and drank. He wasn't sure how strong he was right at that moment and he didn't want to spill it. When the delicious liquid becomes eaten, he sets the bowl back down on the tray. He picks up a spoon that is located next to it and begins to eat the solid particles. When it's gone, he looks back to Mari who is setting the tray on the ground. She turns back to face him and caressed his face again. She noted that his fever had, in fact, gone up slightly and reached for the cloth. She wrung it out and began to clean Seighart's face. He scooted down farther on the bed and rested. Mari smiled at his somewhat peaceful face.

"Are you feeling a little better now?" she asked. Seighart nodded and Mari felt relief. She started the cleaning process at his forehead and worked her way down to his neck. After completing it, she checked his temperature again. It went down by quite a bit and she sighed happily. She put the cloth back on his forehead. As she went to do so, she found him sleeping. He shivered lightly, confirming that the fever was indeed going down. She covered him with the blanket and went to take the soup bowl and tray back down stairs. On her way down she saw Lass and Arme presumably on their way back from the bathroom.

Arme looked at her curiously as she was holding the tray and bowl, "Mari? What are you doing with those?" The woman in question blushed.

"Oh! I…" she wasn't sure how to respond. She didn't want them thinking she did something wrong, but at the same time, she didn't want to lie, "Seighart is sick." She stated plainly. Both Arme's and Lass' eyes widened.

"Really? Tell him I say to feel better soon!" Arme demanded. Mari nodded and went about her way to return the items.

Upon entering the kitchen, she stuck the bowl in the sink and rinsed it out. She looked forlornly at her laboratory. Something needed to be done about it. She walked into it and looked at her chemicals; all the experiments going on. Sighing, she took the biohazard waste basket over to the shelf of brightly colored fluids. In a great sweep she wiped them all into it. She went over to her desk and went through her lab reports. Everything that couldn't be finished right there was thrown out…which was everything except for a single paper. Mari was done with everything relating to harmful substances. She was sick and tired of putting Seighart through hell and making him think she didn't care. She felt concern for Arme and her baby. What if it got into her lab without her knowing it? That would be dangerous. Although Arme might one day forgive her, she couldn't ever forgive herself. She contemplated thoroughly cleaning her lab out right there, but realized that Seighart needed her much more than her lab needed cleansing. She tied her bag up and threw it out with the rest of the trash. Mari washed her hands and returned to her lover's side.

She walked in the door and saw Seighart staring at the door pitifully. He had been worried that she wouldn't return. Mari walked to his side smiling gently at him. She took the cloth off of his forehead and got it cold again. She dabbed his cheeks and re-applied it to his forehead. As she was pulling back from the action he grabbed her wrist and pulled it into his neck sweetly. Mari smiled again; sometimes she forgot just how much he loved her touch. She pulled her hand out of his grasp to his dismay. She then crawled over him and got underneath the covers.

"Hi," he said feeling pleased but confused.

The rune caster cuddled up next to him and wrapped her arms around his big chest, "Hey," she replied. She kissed him on his mildly fevered cheek. He turned around and leaned in to kiss her. Just as he did so though, his fever cooler fell off of his face and across Mari's. He ended up kissing a damp cloth. He sputtered back confused about what just happened. Mari laughed and he chuckled low. She took it off and laid it back on his head after he turned on to his back. She pushed herself up and helped him kiss her on the lips. He did so and she laid back down. She pressed her forehead into his back and got as close to him as physically possible.

"So how are you feeling?" she asked. Seighart thought for a moment before answering.

"I feel better. Really weak and tired; my skin still hurts too. Other than that though I feel okay." Mari frowned and sighed.

She put her lips up to his ear and whispered, "I'm sorry I hurt you. I promise I'll never do that again. I got rid of everything. That's what took so long." His eyes widened in shock. She destroyed everything that she'd worked so hard for?

"What? What do you mean you "got rid of everything"? Isn't that stuff like, your life? And what about the tests we'd worked so hard for? Was that all disposable too?" he asked. He was starting to get upset. Mari was taken aback by his reaction.

"No," she said answering his question, "I managed to save a lab that wasn't quite finished. Everything that you endured was in that particular lab report. The other things I finished this morning. It's not my life and it's dangerous to keep around small children. That and I can't stand to see you in this much pain again. Without a test subject, it'd be kind of pointless to have that around." No matter what way she put it, Science was a major part in her life. She couldn't hide the sadness in her tone. He took off the cloth on his head and turned around to face her.

"I love you," He said. He kissed her passionately on the lips to comfort her. She kissed back with equal passion. She could just barely keep her tears to herself. It was true, her lab was her entire life, but he was far more important to her. After the kissing stopped, Seighart found that it used up the very last of his energy. He fell asleep with his face nuzzled into Mari's hair. She sighed and caressed his face. She curled into his chest and slept as well.

They had a rather rude awakening later that evening. Amy barged into their room.

"MARI!!! YOUR LAB'S BEEN ROBBED!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. The two bolted up right. Seighart, not fully recovered from his stomach pains fell back down cursing. Mari touched his face and he smiled through his grimace. She moved her left hand to rub his abdomen and her right arm supported her as she looked at Amy.

"I wasn't robbed, I threw it all out. I would have had to do so anyways once the baby comes," She explained. Amy let out a sigh of relief before returning her gaze to Seighart.

"What's wrong with him?" She asked. Mari looked at his face before looking back up to see Amy.

She looked away, "I made him sick last night. The chemicals were too harsh for his stomach."

Amy nodded understandingly, "We brought back dinner for everyone, do you want me to bring you two's up?" Mari looked to Seighart and then back at Amy.

"Yes. I would love for you to do that. Thank you." Amy smiled widely.

"Okay! Dinner coming right up courtesy of the Amy room service committee." She ran off leaving Mari chuckling at the childishness of the oracle. She hadn't bothered to shut the door and as result, she saw Lire heading in the direction of Arme's room with two boxes of food in hand. She figured that the girl was going to apologize for yesterday. Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard a screech of joy coming from down the hall. Mari just rubbed Seighart's stomach until he'd completely relaxed. Just as she was lying back down, Amy came skipping in much quieter. She had in hand, two boxes of something delicious. She set them down on the bedside table along with silverware. She smiled and wished Seighart to get well soon before skipping on back down the hallway. Mari opened the box to discover her favorite take out in the Bermesiah continent; Mongban tacos. Seighart grabbed his as well and was happy with what he found. They ate up and went back to bed.

A/N: What do you think? Did I end this properly? Sorry for the shortness, but it's just a plot holder. Nothing relevant comes from this chapter besides extra time wasted. I don't know about you but I'm getting sick and tired (no pun intended) of hearing/writing vomiting scenes! There's only so many ways you can phrase that!!! It happens so frequently too . so next chapter we skip ahead to the main plot, does that sound good to you?


	6. Surprise! FULLY LOADED! part one

Me: o_e It's been…so long since I've updated o_e

Utsuro: Yeah =_=

Me: I'm…so sorry…but I promise it'll be funny and…kinda worth the wait ^^;; Lots of concentrated randomness.

Utsuro: Yeay!

Disclaimer: Willowwhip doesn't own Grand Chase. Willowwhip also doesn't own a mental image projector…that would be so much easier… ==_==

A/N prenote: Sorry about the delay guys. I had the most epic case of writer's block, drama, and procrastination evah X.X Then came finals and…just…clusterfuckstorm. Sorry T.T

* * *

Amy impatiently rocked on her heels and Elesis leaned against the wall adjacent to the front door. They were waiting for Arme so the girls could all go baby-shopping. Mari and Lire came down the stairs and joined the other two in the waiting. They were going out because Arme had finally gotten a handle on her morning sickness. They didn't want to wait too long to get the necessary supplies. She was already moving somewhat sluggishly and showing quite a bit. Arriving to the waiting area, Lire joined Amy and Elesis while Mari opened her Grimoire and sat. Amy let out an exasperated sigh.

"UGH!" She exclaimed causing everyone, including Mari to look at her, "I wish she'd hurry up!"

Elesis grabbed her sword off the wall behind her and whapped Amy in the back of the head , "Arme's pregnant. She doesn't move as swiftly as she used to. On top of that, the silver one probably doesn't want her to go." As if on cue, Lass set Arme down next to her. He kissed his lover on the lips before disappearing into the shadows. Turning around, the others now saw that she was wearing a white, baby-doll styled shirt. It was no secret that she felt self-conscious about her rapidly growing belly, despite the fact that she couldn't hide it anymore. Amy cheered at the seeming apparition of her friend.

"Yeay! We can go now!" She said whilst grabbing the wrist of her partially absorbed comrade Mari. Amy charged out of the room to go summon a carriage; dragging a very shocked Mari along.

* * *

"Aiii! This shirt would look so cute on you Arme!" Amy shrieked as she held up a white, lacy 'preggy-teddy' up to the female in reference. Amy put it over her arm and flew over to other racks, looking for suitable clothes. Lire went to supervise. Elesis and Mari stayed by Arme's side as she looked for proper pants and skirts to go with whatever Amy picked. Five minutes later, Amy was jumping up and down in front of Arme squealing happily with a load of clothes in a shopping cart.

She stopped and held Arme's hands, "Go try these on! Go try these on!"

Arme walked over to the booth and set her clothes into it. Amy proceeded to throw clothing over the top of the demi-room. The starlet stepped back and waited for her friend to come out. Mari stood closer to Amy and whispered to her.

"Amy," She started. The girl looked at Mari to acknowledge that she'd heard her, "Did you get any bras for Arme while you were raging the aisles?" Amy shook her head and Mari disappeared; assumingly to find bras.

Elesis and Lire found seats while Amy took to the method of standing and pacing in anticipation. Approximately thirty seconds later, Arme found an outfit worthy of showing to the others. She came out dressed in a tight black t-shirt with a black maternity skirt.

"Do you think this makes me look fat?" Arme asked turning around. Elesis hit her forehead with her hand while Lire shook her head disappointedly.

Amy looked at her curiously, "Of course not, why would you think something like that?" Arme blushed and looked away, towards a mirror while muttering a quiet 'no reason'. The songstress began tugging at Arme's clothes to see if they fit properly; an intrusion that she didn't like, but expected over the copious amounts of time spent clothes shopping with the girl.

"The skirt is comfortable?" Amy asked. Arme nodded and was pushed back into the stall, "Approved! Next!" Elesis' eyes widened and she jolted to the door of the room.

"Arme! Arme, you ok? She pushed you hard!" Arme called out that she was fine and Elesis shot a glare at Amy who had rushed off to find something. Elesis charged after her.

Amy was over by the dress racks when Elesis spun her around and punched her in the face. Somewhere in Bermesiah, Jin shuddered and an Amy fan committed suicide.

She touched her face to inspect the damage. She'd gotten lucky, it only hurt a bit. If Elesis had really been trying to hurt her, Amy would be on the ground with a broken skull.

Elesis glowered at the female, "What the hell were you thinking, pushing Arme into the stall so roughly? She's PREGNANT. Don't you remember us telling you to be gentle with her?" Amy's eyes started welling up at this point and Lire had come over, "What if she miscarried? Do you know how upset Arme would be? And do YOU want to be the one to tell Lass why his girlfriend was having an emotional meltdown?" Lire came up behind Elesis and touched her shoulders in a comforting gesture. She'd begun seething and hadn't realized it until then. The hot-headed girl took a breath and surveyed the damage she'd caused. Amy was shaking and trying hard not to cry. Many bystanders had gathered to watch what happened. Elesis calmed herself down and tried to talk to Amy again.

"Amy? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so harsh. I know you didn't mean to do it. Arme's fine so no worries," She explained trying to comfort the singer. The girl nodded, sniffed, and rubbed her eyes before walking calmly over to the fitting booths again. The crowd dispersed as Elesis sighed and rubbed the back of her head. Gazing at Amy, she could tell the female was feeling horrid. No matter how pissed off Elesis was at her, she couldn't stand seeing Amy looking so dejected.

Elesis went and stood next to the girl who was looking at the floor, "Amy?" She looked up at Elesis before looking down, "What do you want me to do to make you happy again. I can't handle seeing you depressed like this."

Inwardly, Amy chuckled. Her devious plan had worked. 'Make Elesis feel guilty about hitting her, then get her to do something terribly embarrassing. Sometimes it frightened Amy just how utterly, brilliantly; manipulative she could be when hyper. She kept up appearances.

"Would you be willing to try something on? I saw something that you'd look very pretty in and I want to see it on you," She said with the most hopeful look in her eyes that she could muster. Elesis stared into them and sighed again.

She looked away, "Fine…" Amy burst out of her seat and practically flew over to the racks she was just at. Lire appeared next to Elesis and looked at her.

"What have you gotten yourself into?" Lire asked rhetorically. Elesis did not answer and the two fell silent. Amy returned a moment later with a…dress.

It featured carnation pink as its main color. That consisted of the body. There were bubble gum pink ruffles and a flamingo pink ribbon in the middle to adjust waist size as well as act as a fashion accessory. Lastly, the tool underneath was a very soft looking white to make it fill outwards when worn. Elesis' eye twitched, annoyed.

"You…want me…to wear that?" She asked with clear disgust painted on her features. Amy nodded quickly with a carefully molded hopeful look carved on her face. Elesis shook her head sighing and took the dress. She walked to the changing room and proceeded with the dressing. Arme came out in a white, printed, and shirred halter top. There were beautiful peach, maroon, light pink, and green colors in the form of tiny flowers scattered all over the shirt. She wore elastic flare jeans that featured the waistband resting just beneath her breasts. It was presumably made that way so that there'd be some extra room for heavily pregnant women who had gained quite a lot of weight over their pregnancy.

Amy twirled slowly, letting the wind resistance catch the shirt and lift it into the air. She smiled, "I really like this outfit. It's comfortable." Although Amy had been manipulating Elesis, she was still hesitant with Arme. She hadn't meant to push the girl. Lire went up in her place. The elf tugged at Arme's clothes to check the looseness of them, nodding all the while. Finally she stepped back to look at the pieces.

"I like them." She stated plainly before looking to Amy for her input. Amy nodded and walked over to Arme. The starlet hugged her.

"I'm sorry," She started, "I didn't mean to hurt you. I promise to be more careful next time." Arme returned the hug.

She consoled the female, "It's ok. I'm fine. Um…where's Elesis?" A loud impact was heard from behind a stall approximately two away from Arme's followed by a loud grunt and a shreik. Amy smiled widely.

"Elesis is changing. I picked something out for her to try on." An evil grin; this took Arme by surprise. Amy only did that when she was…

"Amy?" The girl snapped her head back to Arme, "What did you eat today?"

The girl rocked on her heels, "Pancakes…"

"With?"

"Syrup."

"And? What kind were they?"

"…The good kind?"

"What KIND Amy."

"…mint…with, with candy canes…and…mint icing…and chocolate milk…" Amy explained in a whispered hush. Arme simply glared at the female. Lire took in a breath to lecture, but Elesis came out of the stall rather loudly. She stormed over to Amy and grabbed her by the shirt.

"You're. On. A. Sugar rush!" She screamed. Lire pulled Elesis' arms away from the girl and Arme got in between them.

She attempted to calm down Elesis, "Relax 'lessie. You know she can't control herself when she's like this."

Elesis stopped fighting and put her head down. Hesitantly Lire released her. Elesis stood there for a moment before Arme reminded her of a very vital piece of information.

"Elesis, why are you wearing a frilly, pink, maternity dress?" She inquired. Elesis' eyes widened and blushed heavily before bolting back into her changing room. Amy started laughing, then holding her sides, then rolling on the floor. Her face was turning multiple different shades of red. Arme and Lire weren't sure if they should help her or start laughing with her. After three minutes of this, Amy's face was turning purple and she gasped, asking for help. Arme, luckily had a spell.

"Stišati" she commanded. Slowly, Amy begun to calm herself. Her full out laughing had subsided to sedated giggling. Seeing as the songstress wasn't about release her bodily fluids all over herself due to the pressure of laughing, the group walked back over to the stalls. Arme went back in to try something on. One minute later Elesis came back out of the room to throw the cursed dress in Amy's face.

"That thing," She started, "Was a bitch to get back on the hanger." Amy started giggling louder, but was stinted by Elesis thumping her in the back of the head. Amy got up and returned the dress to its original location. She walked past Mari, who was returning to the group with several pieces of lace in her hands. They wordlessly passed each other. Mari threw the objects over the stall door and told Arme to try them on to see if they fit. Mari did not wait for a reply. She sat next to Elesis and looked at the female.

She sighed after a moment, "So, what did I miss?" Elesis looked away and scoffed.

Lire elaborated, "Amy's on a sugar rush and Elesis hit her in the face. Amy ended up guilting Elesis into trying on something…very un-Elesis -like." The woman being discussed stared intently at the floor.

Mari rolled her eyes, "For the love of Andromeda, didn't Jin lock up the sugar?

-Pan to the castle -

Jin came inside from prayer, meditation, and training. These were required several times per week in order to remain in peak condition. He decided to get a glass of sugar water. He looked around suspiciously to check to see if Amy was around. He knew she wasn't, but couldn't help but feel the need to do so. He crouched down to the bottom cabinet and moved several objects out of the way. Jin grasped the lock of a vault and was shocked to feel it broken. His eyes widened three times normal size.

"OH GOD!" He screamed out loud, desperately feeling around for a sugar bag and only finding small grains.

"OHGODOHGODOHGOD!" He shouted trying to figure out what to do. Ronan came in just then, heading to get a bowl of Justice Flakes. He noticed Jin's panicked frenzy.

"Jin!" He started, "What is the matter?"

Jin grabbed Ronan by the chest of his shirt and shook him, "The lock to the sugar vault is broken and the bags are missing! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS!" Ronan stared at him blankly for a moment before it hit him, Amy…

"We should go check on the girls." Jin nodded in response. Ronan ran to the door with Jin close on his heels. The dragon knight ripped his glaive off of the wall and summoned a dragon.

"Katie! We need you to take us to the shopping area quickly, it's important!" Ronan exclaimed. Katie simply yawned fire into the air, toasting a pigeon in mid air. She stretched and then bowed, allowing Ronan to ascend her back. He helped Jin up and the two were off.

-Pan back to market -

Lire shook her head no, "I'm afraid if he did, he didn't do a good enough job."

* * *

Moments later Amy bounded back to the group with a large smile on her face.

"I have returned~" She informed in a sing-song voice. The group let out a collective sigh. Mari shook her head but did not comment. Instead she looked to Arme's mini-room.

She asked from across the area, "Arme, are you done trying those items on that I brought you?"

"Uhm…" Arme replied in a shaky voice, "I…yes. But I'm not coming out to show you!" One did not need to see her face to know that she had a heavy blush applied to her cheeks at that moment.

"Well of course not," Mari replied, "That'd be a little inappropriate, don't you think? Are they comfortable and supporting?"

There was a light pause as Arme contemplated her answer, "Ah…yes? The cup size is a little large though…"

Mari nodded knowingly, even though the person whom she was addressing could not see, "I did that on purpose. Keep them, I guarantee that you'll need them later."

"O-o-okay," Arme replied. There was total silence as the group outside of the changing booth stared at Mari. She didn't ask about the gazes, so they eventually dropped them.

* * *

Arme sank to her knees dramatically, "Finally! That was the last garment! AND DON'T YOU DARE GET MORE AMY!" The dancer had spun around quickly in an effort to go get more. When she heard her name being called, however, she froze. Amy turned back around and a guilty bead of sweat dropped down the side of her head. Mari chuckled amusedly. They'd just spent the past couple hours going through clothes and they'd come out with an entire wardrobe worth of items. Amy was desperately trying to keep her high going, but it was starting to fail on her. As the girls went to the checkout area the starlet was fading. She stumbled a few times and had to hold on to something to remain upright.

Elesis was unsympathetic, "Stay awake pumpkin-face, we still have to finish shopping." The girl groaned. The checkout man gave Elesis a disapproving glance momentarily but decided not to challenge it. He resigned himself to looking forlorn and putting the merchandise in the bag. Arme loaded herself up with bags. Lire stepped up and did the same. There were no bags left, so Elesis took half of Arme's bags and one of Lire's. The girls paid and headed out of the store. On their way out, Jin and Ronan showed up on Katie, the fire breathing dragon. They had to duck to avoid the wind pressure from the landing. Jin jumped off prematurely and ran past Arme, Mari, Elesis, and Lire. The four looked back to see Amy landing securely in Jin's arms.

"I see her high has worn off," Ronan observed as he gracefully dismounted.

Elesis ran up to him, agitation masking her excitement, "What are you doing here? Why did you come? And how did you know Amy was on a sugar trip?" Ronan tried taking the bags from her but did not succeed. He proceeded to take the bags away from the girls, "While I'm here, I might as well take your things."

"Answer me," She demanded.

"When I went to get brunch, Jin was screaming his head off. The sugar was missing and the lock had been broken off. There's only one person who would need to do that. We decided to check up on you," he explained, smiling. Elesis held onto her bags tightly, not allowing him to apply his chivalry as he attempted once again to relieve her of the cargo. He chuckled in a low tone. Jin picked up Amy and started to walk in the direction of the house.

Mari realized what was going on almost instantly, "Jin, the house is five hours walk away, wouldn't it be easier to get a cab for the two of you?" Jin froze mid step and the rune caster smiled.

"While you're going, you might as well bring back the clothes," Ronan suggested. He walked to the street, hailed a buggy and threw the clothes inside. The girls stood watching as Jin placed Amy inside carefully, and got in himself. Ronan closed the door and returned to his wife's side. There was an awkward silence as the buggy pulled away. However, Arme's stomach growled just then as did Ronan's.

Arme rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "Why don't we go get some lunch?" The others nodded, so off to the food area they went.

After walking for three minutes, it became obvious that Ronan was trying to flirt with Elesis. It started out with him bumping into her "accidentally". But then he started to pick on her. He would tug her hair and then look around aimlessly as she looked for the culprit. Then he started trying to hold her hand while walking, much to her dismay.

"Ronan! Cut it out!" She exclaimed, blushing.

He faux pouted, "I apologize, I cannot help but to desire to hold the fair maiden's hand. Her beauty is overpowering, filling the trenches of my so-ow!" Elesis lightly smacked him in the back of the head. He rubbed the afflicted area and Elesis giggled. Mid-chuckle, she realized her mistake and stopped, blushing harder. This reaction caused Ronan to begin snickering.

"Shut up! It's not funny!" she yelled, "Next time, I'm going to hit you with the blunt side of your glaive blade!" This made him laugh harder. Elesis scrunched up her face in frustration and was about to yell louder but Lire pulled her away, over by Arme. Ronan sighed disappointedly as he watched her go. Elesis stayed in her pack; being around Arme made her feel slightly protective. Somewhat of an awkward silence over took the group as they closed on the gallery of food items.

Simply smelling the food caused his stomach to growl quite loudly, which in turn cause everyone to stare at him.

"I…ah…didn't eat my Justice Flakes this morning. Jin interrupted me," Ronan explained in an embarrassed manner. The other's dropped the subject and ordered lunch.

* * *

Clarice held the hand of her eight year old mentee, Janet as they waited for their food to be prepared. She wore her hair down; black hair reaching the small of her back. This contrasted greatly with her nearly translucent skin and arctic blue eyes. Her dress was white with a red, halter, over-bust, corset on top. The dress flared out about her knees and puffed at the shoulders. It was wide shouldered and the arms were high cut and the skirt cut off just below the knees. She wore white "Mary Jane's" The corset was another matter. Although it was red and buttoned down the middle, in had a large, red cross upon the center of the front.

Janet was a contrast in hair, eyes, and the outfit was an inverse of colors, but everything was essentially the same. Her cheeks were rosy and she had blonde hair with crimson eyes. Her outfit was designed exactly the same except for a red dress and white corset with red Mary Jane's. They were quite a pair.

"Miss Altraice! Miss Altraice! The Grand Chase are here! AND THEY HAVE RONAN!" She whispered excitedly. Janet clung tightly to her mentor's hand as she bounced excitedly. Clarice, quite used to this behavior, looked down at her child, then over to the area that was being indicated. She looked at the Grand Chase and watched for a moment. It was as Janet had said. Just as she was about to look away, Clarice caught a glimpse of Arme's baby bump. It attracted her attention immediately and she nearly forgot everything that was going on around her. Janet had to remind Clarice of their surroundings.

"Teacher! The schnitzel is ready! Can we sit with Arme-sama?" She asked with a hopeful look in her eyes.

Clarice nodded, "Yes we may. I was already intending to do so." The little girl cheered but stayed with her master. The woman paid and took their food before making her way through the crowd where Arme was sitting. The others seemed to have disbanded in search of food. As Clarice approached, Arme saw her. Panic seized her features for a moment before realizing that Clarice didn't pose a threat. The woman chuckled upon seeing this.

"A bit jumpy are we?" She asked with a smile on her face. Arme blushed and looked down for a minute. Clarice surveyed the open seats and chose a couple on the end of the table, "I hope you don't mind if we sit here." Arme's head lifted and she smiled while shaking her head. Clarice put the food on the table and have the plate to her little one.

Janet smiled warmly, closing her eyes to do so, "Arygeto Sensei!" Clarice shook her head no.

"Arigato. Sorry, she's practicing her Japanese," She explained to their table hostess. Janet looked down and blushed while Arme dismissed the apology.

"So, what brings you to town?" Arme asked. Last she knew, Clarice worked at the guild. There was no reason for her to be there.

Clarice reclined and put her hands on the back of her head, obviously relaxing, "Meh…I was just coming in to stock up on my medicinical supplies. Fall is coming and I've heard of a flu outbreak in Xenia."

Arme nodded thoughtfully as she placed a hand over her abdomen. Clarice saw this slight gesture and made conversation upon it.

"I wouldn't worry too much if I were you," Clarice stated, assuaging Arme's fears, "VERY few illnesses can be transferred over the placenta. There are a couple of flu strains that can, but they're so few and far between that one shouldn't worry. Besides, we're in Bermesiah. Not many people travel to and from there," Arme sighed slightly and dropped her hand.

She smiled, her fears soothed, "How long will you be staying here?"

"We're leaving the day after tomorrow," Clarice answered, "We were going to pay a surprise visit to you guys today, but I suppose the surprise is a little bit…gone."

The two shared a chuckle and shortly after, Arme's stomach growled. Clarice tilted her head, "Your friends are bringing you back food, right?" Arme nodded quickly and Clarice smiled.

"I'm so glad that you found friends like them; especially after everything with the guild…" Clarice trailed out and Arme looked away, "You know there's a completely new, prejudice free, staff?" Arme's eyes widened fifty times.

"What!" she exclaimed shocked. Clarice smiled slyly.

"Yes, I got moved up a few ranks and…erm… 'took care' of the people who tormented you along with several other of my students," She paused to touch Janet's shoulder, "Janet here, my current pupil, was starting to get bullied because of her eyes right before my last promotion. I fired most of the staff and hand selected the rest of them," Clarice explained, "It was a very LONG process, but it's finally safe for people of unusual appearances." Arme was still in shock as she mulled over what had just been said to her. After rethinking everything she had a horrified expression on her face.

"Master Clarice? How did you 'take care' of the people?" Arme asked.

Clarice mock coughed a couple times, "Erm…I fired most of them…"

"What'd you do with the rest?"

"Uh…"

"…"

"I er…" Clarice looked down at Janet, knowing there was no avoiding the question. The girl was looking at her master with curious eyes, "I…relinquished them to the realm they belong in. That is all," she said with finality. Arme knew to drop the question. An awkward silence overtook the table. As Clarice was about to break it, a hand pulled her upward. It was Elesis.

"What. Are you doing. At our table?" It was clear the female was enraged by the color of her face. Arme stood to halt Elesis' rage.

"'lessie! Stop! This is Clarice. She is the leading cleric of the mage guild and my old mentor. She pretty much raised me. She's okay," Arme explained. The knight lessened her grip on the woman.

Clarice scoffed, "Yeah right, I raised you by myself," She rolled her eyes bitterly, "So anyways, I haven't seen her since she last visited the guild. I asked her if I could sit here, she said yes. Is this okay with you all?" Elesis looked around but saw that there was no protest with anyone else. She stared long and hard at Arme, who stared back confidently. Elesis looked at Clarice who was currently gazing intensely at Elesis, almost asking for a challenge, but not quite. The spearman in turn narrowed her eyes and sat next to Arme. Ronan sat next to Elesis, and on his right was Janet. Little did he know that she was a fan of his. She looked up from her mostly eaten schnitzel to see him plop down next to her. Janet's eyes widened in intense shock and he smiled at her; effectively causing her to blush. She bent over and hesitantly pulled out a notebook and pen.

"Ah…Mr. Erudon?" He looked at her, "Will you please sign this?" she asked while covering her face with the notebook. He chuckled and gently took the pen and paper from her.

"Sure, where do you want me to sign?" He asked. Her eyes lit up again, tears of joy lacing her eyelids. She opened the journal and indicated at the back of the front cover. Ronan signed his signature and waved it in the air.

"Who wants to sign?" Elesis snatched the writing utensil and signed her signature after retrieving the book from her husband. The girl proceeded to hand the items to Arme, who accepted them and signed as well. Arme lightly tossed it over to Lire, who wrote carefully. Lire handed it to Mari, who used her own pen. Mari slid the pad back across to table to Janet who started bouncing up and down in her chair with excitement. During all of this Clarice was conversing with Arme in between eating. The others had begun to do so as well, all having decided upon something or another. Elesis had picked up bourbon harpy with fried drillmon noodles on the side for Arme, while having straight harpy meat for herself. Due to the fact that they were in public, Elesis ate with more class than normal.

"So…you're pregnant?" Clarice asked already knowing the answer. Arme nodded blushing, "Who's the lucky man and how far along are you?"

Arme smiled, thinking of her lover, "Lass, and…ah, three months I suppose; almost four." Clarice had a shocked expression.

"Ah…so…who's your obstetrician?" She questioned gently. Arme tilted her head in confusion.

"What's an obstetrician?"

"…a pregnancy doctor. Everyone should have one."

Arme's eyes widened, "I…don't. I don't have one…" Her old mentor was taken aback for a moment before answering.

"Well, I could be your O.B. if you wanted. I am certified in all things medicinical, as you already know," Clarice offered.

"Sure…but," Arme started, "Aren't you a bit busy with your new position? Didn't you 'Just get things settled down'?"

Clarice laughed at this, "Arme, first off, you're my kid…practically. They'd understand. Second, You're Arme of the Grand Chase, you're a little more important. And third, My students can take care of things while I'm gone. They're well trained and I trust them. Seeing you wouldn't take anything out of my schedule. I'm hardly the one who needs to be concerned at this point. Besides, I want to feel closer to you now that things are FINALLY settled down." She sighed and rested back in her chair, "Seriously, you have no idea the things required to keep you kids safe," Clarice said to no one in particular. She rested her eyes a moment before returning to the subject at hand, "So…"

"Yeah!" Arme exclaimed cheerfully, "I'd love to have you as my obstetrician."

Clarice appeared elated, "So I'll give you your first check up…today?"

Arme nodded quickly, "Yes! That'd be great, how about when we get done eating we go home and get started? Clarice nodded and then Janet gasped.

"Do I get to go too?" Janet asked with great enthusiasm. Clarice smiled at her and then got a mischievous look on her face.

With a crooked smile she answered, "Only if you are calm, quiet, and helpful when we get there." The girl quickly calmed herself and clung to Clarice's arm. The table began to chuckle at the little one.

* * *

The group made light conversation as they finished their meals. The subject had switched to informing Clarice of what had gone on since the media stopped harassing them. This subject reminded Arme of the promise Jin made to her. She set about having him fulfill it within the next week. Approximately ten minutes later, everyone was done eating and Ronan went to take everyone's plates to the trash basin. Elesis went out and hailed a carriage. It was required for the amount of people riding and they might as well ride one. When it arrived, Ronan opened the door for the girls saying "Ladies first". Janet blushed so hard as he looked at her, trying to make her react. The 'ladies' got in without a problem. Elesis, however, protested.

Ronan stood, holding the door as Elesis stared at him, "And now for the fairest of them all." If he had a rose handy, it would be in Elesis' hand. She blushed for a moment before shaking it off. She offered him to get in.

"I don't need anyone to hold a door for me. Get in," she told him. He shook his head, "Ronan! Get in!" she demanded. He smirked.

"Elesis, you are going in first. You're ruining my chivalrous act," Ronan said whilst chuckling. Elesis looked away and crossed her arms stubbornly.

"No."

That did it. Ronan smiled widely and did what Elesis was not expecting. He picked her up bridal style.

"RONAN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? PUT ME DOWN!" She exclaimed. Ronan laughed and began to put his woman into the carriage, "NO! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! AHHHHH!" she exclaimed as he lowered her. She thrashed, mock fighting him. Elesis didn't want to hurt him after all. Ronan gently put her into the second to last seat and then got in himself. She pouted playfully. The driver shouted, "Where to?"

Ronan replied, "Grand Chase House" The driver then proceeded to take off. Conversation in the cab picked up again. One hour into the drive, Elesis fell asleep on Ronan's shoulder and Arme slept on Clarice's.

* * *

When they got to the house, they saw Lass sitting on the roof of the building. As the vehicle pulled up to it, Lass jumped off of the roof and landed, somersaulted twice, and then stood. He dusted himself off and then went to go help the girls out.

He opened the door and Janet came out, stretching. Clarice awoke Arme, and then proceeded out. Once out, Clarice helped out Arme. Lass quickly snatched his lover out of Clarice's grasp and pulled her aside to inspect for any damage.

"Lass…" She protested tiredly, "I'm fine…" Lass continued to inspect her. Once satisfied he hugged her protectively and then asked her who Clarice was. She went on to explain and he picked her up, wanting to be as close to her as possible. When the chasers walked in, they discovered Seighart was once again in his resting area, but this time, with Amy legs draped across his lap. Adjacent to the gladiator was Jin, holding Amy's head close to his chest as she seemingly slept. Elesis saw that Arme's clothes were still in their bags at the foot of the sofa.

"Jin, Why aren't—"

"shhhhh"

"Jin"

"SHHHHHHHH"

Elesis sighed and talked in a lower tone, "Why aren't the clothes in Arme's room already?"

"Lass wasn't home and Seighart ignored me when I told him to do it."

"Why didn't you?" She asked.

Jin looked at her with a moronic face. He motioned at Amy who'd then decided to nuzzle cutely into his neck. Elesis sighed, grabbed a set of bags, and headed up the stairs. Ronan followed suit. Lass set his girlfriend down and loaded his arms up with the remaining bags. Clarice took Arme's hand.

"Why don't you show me to your room where I can begin the session," she suggested with a light smile. Arme nodded and headed up the stairs. Janet didn't realize they were leaving her until they'd made it up ten steps. The girl ran after them.

"Wait for me!" she commanded, scurrying to catch up. Lire went off to find Ryan and Mari went to finish up de-toxifying her old lab.

* * *

Arme felt slightly awkward, leading her mentor someplace; almost as if she was a small child again, eagerly leading Clarice to see something in the gardens. Janet had come up to grab her other hand and was now swinging it happily whilst humming an upbeat tune. Seconds later they reached Arme's room. Janet saw the others struggling with the door so she released Arme's hand and went to open the door for them. Ronan smiled and thanked her. He set the clothes down by the dresser and the other two followed suit. Ronan grabbed Elesis by the hand and pulled her out of the room; obviously allowing them to conduct business in private. When the door shut Clarice sighed and Janet mimicked.

"Why don't you lie down on the bed Arme, it's easier for me to perform that way," The doctor suggested. Arme did as she was told, "That's good. I need you to relax." Clarice walked over and knelt by the bed Arme lied upon. She started by caressing Arme's face, checking temperature. She took Arme's pulse and saw it was elevated slightly. Clarice moved her entire body down to Arme's abdominal area and bowed her head. She raised her hands over the abdominal area and they began to glow. Lass glared at Janet who started trying to touch Arme's limbs. Janet didn't notice however, and was soon poking and prodding the patient.

"I'm gonna try to take your pulse through your wrist!" she cheered. Janet lifted Arme's arm gently and felt around the wrist.

She blushed as she experienced difficulty finding the point in which to draw the pulse from, "I'm sorry. I just learned this yesterday. I just started the medicine part of my training."

"No problem!" Arme consoled. The mage pressed the exact location her pulse could be found in. Janet found her own pulse and took out a pen. She then circled the area on her wrists. Janet continued to find the typical pulse points on the neck. Those were easier to find. By the time she was done Clarice had finished and started staring at her mentee.

"Are you having fun?" She smirked. Janet blushed and looked down. Clarice ruffled her hair, "You're fine. So, Arme, you need to acquire vitamins specifically for pregnancy. You're not getting enough nourishment. You should be much, much heavier and have much more body fat. This isn't healthy." Arme's eyes widened. Lass wore a frightened expression as well. He touched Clarice's shoulder to get her attention.

"Where do we get them?" He asked. His voice held notes of urgency.

Clarice looked at him sympathetically. Lass was more frightened than he let on, "Well, if normal ones were required then I'd say your normal store." The thief had been preparing to leap out the window to go hunt down some vitamins, but stopped mid spring due to those words.

"What do you mean "normal". What's going on?"

Arme's eyes were full of fear and Janet looked on curiously. Clarice just sighed, "Well, you're not having just one."

Janet gasped excitedly, "Twins?"

"No. Triplets."

A/N: DUN DUN DUUUUUN! I know you hate me now, but fret not! I shall update shortly! Hmmmmm...too many page breaks... I want to thank Utsuro for putting up with ALL of my bullshit and ALL of my complaining and for generally being epic. I want to thank James for dealing with my bitchiness, you don't get the credit you deserve and I apologize. I want to thank my mother for being so gracious about the fire breathing dragon thing ^^;;; and for housing/clothing/feeding/loving me. I want to thank Zaboomafu for providng me with amazing drawings. Also, another thing about Utsuro? She inspires me and I want to thank her for putting up with allllll of my insane/creepy questions. I friggin love you. And last but not least, I want to thank all of my alert-ers and review-ers for being so nice and helpful all the time. If you guys hadn't encouraged me, I'd probably have stopped by now. I want to bake you all cookies and send them to you. Sadly I cannot. I hope you enjoyed this extra lonnng chapter and I shall update again shortly. Ta-ta for now~

Sincerely

Your Willow


	7. Surprise! Part Two

Me: Hahahaha! I told you I wouldn't take me nearly as long to do this one~

Utsuro: Oh just shut up Willow-chan and get on with the story!

Me: But it's so much fun. *sigh* fine. But you're saying the disclaimer.

Utsuro: kk

Disclaimer: *Utsuro speaking*Willow will own Grand Chase the day her undercover radioactive Llama agents steal the rights to them. Until that day, she regrets to inform you that she does not own grand chase or its rainbow-colored characters.

Me: Thank you Utsy~

Utsuro: No problem *reads chapter*

IT'S TIIIIIME FOR A RECAP!

"What do you mean "normal". What's going on?"

Arme's eyes were full of fear and Janet looked on curiously. Clarice just sighed, "Well, you're not having just one."

Janet gasped excitedly, "Twins?"

"No. Triplets."

Both Janet and Arme stared at their (former) master. Lass crawled back into the room, staring at the female who'd just delivered this news, "I'm sorry, I think I heard you wrong. Did you say triplets?" Clarice nodded, "And you say that Arme isn't healthy, and that she needs vitamins," Clarice nodded again, "And that you can't find them in normal stores?"

Clarice nodded once, "Yes."

"So where would I find it?" Lass asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Clarice thought a moment, "You'd have to go to Mashinaw City, which is two days journey by cart from here. Where are you going?" she asked. Lass had been getting things around as soon as Clarice had said 'go to'. Being Lass, the thief had already prepared everything he'd need.

"Well I'm not just going to sit here when my wi- girlfriend and children are going malnourished," He stated plainly. Lass cupped Arme's head in his hand as he kissed her passionately on the lips. The striker used the door when exiting this time.

He stormed the halls and lightly pushed everyone in his way out of it. Lass made his advance to the weaponry wall and snatched the Nodachi. His next destination: wherever Elesis was.

Lass chose to go to the hot tub because of its closeness and how frequently she went there. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that she was, in fact, there. Elesis lied comfortably in Ronan's embrace as he rested his head on top of hers. Lass cleared his throat loudly to both separate the cute scene and alert Elesis of his presence. The knight splashed shocked and practically launched herself to the other end of the pool.

"That!-" she started, "That didn't happen. You saw nothing," Lass snorted and she blushed harder, "So why are you here anyways?" Lass frowned deeper before replying.

"I need you to look after Arme for a couple days. The doctor said she needed vitamins that are in Mashinaw. Instead of waiting for the delivery people to fail, I'm going to get it myself." Elesis nodded understandingly.

She set her wet hand on his shoulder as to give her next words heavier meaning, "Be **careful**. There are bad people along that trail," With that, Elesis pulled herself out of the hot tub, much to Ronan's dismay. He was obviously hoping to cuddle with her again. Lass used his perfered method of travel to get to the nearest ranch house, meaning he ran into the trees and hopped.

Shortly after this display of athleticism, Lass arrived at the ranch house on the outskirts of a small town. A man stood outside the building and waved at the people passing through. He seemed pleasantly surprised to see Lass walk up to him.

"Hello Sir Lass. How many I help you today?"

Lass replied, "I need a horse to get me to Mashinaw in a short amount of time. Essentially, I need to rent your fastest horse."

The man smiled widely. He was glad to have such a highly respected member of the community renting a horse from him. The horse lender assumed it was for some quest of high importance judging by Lass' agitated demeanor.

"I'd be happy to lend you a horse."

The rancher led Lass around back the building that they had been standing in front of; all the while trying to sell his product.

"We have a very nice selection of steed. There's-"

Lass cut him off, "I'm only interested in your fastest horse. I don't care about the others." The man frowned but didn't waver in his path.

"Well, our fastest has yet to be broken in yet, but-" Lass cut the man off yet again.

"Again, only interested in the fastest horse available. I'll break the damn thing myself." The male shook his head and said nothing more. He led Lass up to a stall door.

He put his hand on the lock before turning back to look at Lass, "She is qui-," He stopped when he saw the annoyed expression on Lass' face, "Her name is Moonlight." And with that, the man opened the gate. A pure white horse came charging out with a vengeance. She reared back and looked like she were about to kick the stable master in the face. Lass jumped on her back and steered her away from his head.

"Cost?" Lass asked.

The man regained his composure and then answered, "12 gold coins." Lass threw the change at the man and took off.

~*~*~Noon, the next day~*~*~

Jin desperately tried to break free from Amy's vice. How this woman could overpower Jin, a silver knight who trains every day, was beyond him. He was moving at an increasing rate towards his object of oppression: town square; more specifically it would be everything that was about to take place in that location.

"Amy, if you love me, you won't make me do this," he bargained.

Amy chuckled, "Silly, it's because I love you that I'm doing this in the first place. Imagine how your relationship with Arme would be if you went back on your promise."

Jin sighed dejectedly. He knew, and agreed. The fighter looked over at the girl who'd become everyone's little sister over the years. Elesis had a light grip on her wrist, leading her impatiently to the town square. Ronan walked silently beside his wife. Lire and Ryan walked hand in hand, smiling; pleased to be alive and outside. Seighart and Mari kept up with the group, wordlessly enjoying every ounce of torture Jin was going through. Jin glared at the couple; they gave a disturbing smile back.

"We are here!~" Amy cheered. She raised both arms into the air in joy without letting go of Jin.

He groaned unhappily. The general community seemed shocked that the chasers had stopped in the middle of town square. A few noted that Amy had brought her kleiophone, but thought nothing of it until she brought it in front of her mouth.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" she started, "Are you ready to hear Jin of the Silver Knights sing what might be the most girly song on the entire planet!" A large crowd had assembled and they clapped their hands. A few Jin fans started screaming in joy, "Good! Jin, please stand next to me~" The man did so, "Fantastic. Oh, did I mention that Jin will be singing this in his UNDERWEAR?" with that she let go of the Kleiophone and stripped Jin of his clothes via ripping them off. Several fans fainted and others screamed louder. Amy threw them to the crowd and the fabric was quickly torn to smaller pieces to distribute amongst others, "BEGIN!"

Jin blushed harder than he ever had in his life, "Ah…hi…I'm…not too good at this, and I'm sorta being FORCED to do so…but…here it goes." He cringed before starting.

"I…feel pretty~

Oh so…pretty~

I feel…Amy really? Do I really have to sing this?"

Amy applied her angry face and nodded quickly. Jin sighed.

"I feel…p-pretty, and…witty…and…" he grew quiet as he said this last bit, "gayyyy~"

The crowd roared in laughter. Jin cringed down more and felt tears of embarrassment and degradation lace his eyelids. He started to hunch over, his embarrassment becoming crippling. For some reason this struck a chord inside Ronan. Maybe it was the Justice Flakes (now with fifty percent more chivalry) or perhaps it was his disposition for helping those in need, but Ronan felt the strong…urge… to help his friend. It also helped that the song was a favorite of his.

'I must help him! FOR THE GLORRRY, OF KANAVAN!' he thought to himself. Ronan tore his shirt off and threw it to the crowd. He stepped out of his pants and jogged over to Jin.

"AAANNNNND IIIII PITY~

Any girl, who isn't meee todayyyyy~" Ronan chimed. He wrapped his arm around Jin's shoulder in an attempt to silently tell him that Roonoob's got his back. Jin looked up after wiping the tears from his eyes and Ronan smiled back determinedly. The Silver Knight felt better knowing his friend was doing it with him. They sang both in harmony and melodically.

Jin started the next piece, "I feel charming~"

"Oh so charming~" Ronan continued.

In unison, "It's alarming how charming I feeeeel~

And so pretty~

That I hardly can believe I'm reeeeal!~"

Amy grew excited with the group singing. She joined, although she didn't strip herself down to her undies.

"See the pretty girl in that mirror over there?" she asked

Ronan maintained the song, "Who can that attractive girl be?"

Jin cupped Amy's face, "Such a pretty face."

"Such a pretty dress," Ronan said, gripping Amy's outfit.

"Such a pretty smile," Jin enthused, swiftly placing a kiss on Amy's lips.

Amy twirled, keeping up stage appearances, "Such a pretty me!"

The three got back in line formation. They sang in complete harmony whilst performing a Can-Can.

"I feel stunning

And entrancing

Feel like running

And dancing for joy~"

Amy stepped forward, "For I'm loved

By a pretty wonderful boyyyyy~" she sang. Amy leapt into Jin's arms and kissed his cheek. She nuzzled him once before gripping the weapon/microphone with a spare hand, "That's all for today! Have a good day!" she demanded in a lighthearted tone. Amy unwrapped herself from Jin and landed gracefully on the ground.

"Alright!" she cheered, "That wasn't so horrible was it? Who's up for heading home?" Amy asked, not waiting for a reply to her question. She grabbed Jin by the wrist and ran towards the house. Jin screamed something along the lines of 'she has a vice grip!' although the words were too muddled from the wind resistance to hear clearly.

Elesis took Ronan's hand and pulled herself close so she could talk quietly, "I can't believe you stripped and sang with Jin."

Ronan laughed and wrapped his arm around Elesis, "You know I never miss a chance to sing that song, and besides, he was petrified being alone. I had to help him." Elesis shook her head sadly but said nothing more. Arme chose to walk next to Lire and make light conversation to keep her mind off a certain person. Mari dragged Seighart in the direction of the market.

"Come," she demanded. Mari didn't offer an explanation, so Seighart just went along with his lover.

As the group entered the castle, Arme yawned and headed up the stairs. Elesis pushed Ronan's arm off of her and followed Arme to ensure her charge's safety. As they walked, Elesis couldn't help but notice Arme's depressed manner.

"Are you okay?" The spearman asked. Arme looked up at Elesis and smiled.

"Of course I'm fine. I just hope that Lass is okay." Those words caused her to frown and look away.

Elesis rubbed Arme's back a couple seconds in a comforting gesture, something she'd learned from Ronan over the course of their journeys, "Hey, he'll be fine. He's Lass after all. That silver headed misfit can take care of himself." Over the many times Arme and Elesis have gotten in arguments, the mage had learned that Elesis is joking when she insult someone without yelling.

She smiled to herself and looked straight forward towards her bedroom, "He's not a misfit, Fire-Head."

Elesis gasped, mock-offended, "I'm not a Fire-Head, Grape." Arme bantered back.

"Oh, that's right. You're more like a Fire-Golem." Elesis smiled widely and gently pushed Arme. Arme, however lost her footing for a moment and started to fall. Elesis noticed almost immediately and grabbed Arme's arm before she could fall. She pulled the warlock into a position of holding before letting her stand on her own.

Elesis's eye quirked up as if to inquire about the reason for Arme's sudden lack of balance.

"Eheh," Arme said, sweat dropping, "I guess I'm feeling a little faint. Maybe…it's the poor nutrition?" She said, offering an explanation. Elesis nodded once as if to accept the rationalization. Elesis and Arme walked the rest of the way silently while the knight held her hand. The sword master helped Arme into her bed and then walked out.

"I'll bring you something to eat. Hopefully your strength will return to you after eating again," Elesis said without turning around. And like that, Arme was alone with her thoughts. With a sigh Arme started watching the clouds. Seven minutes later she drifted to sleep.

"Arme, I brought you a…oh." Elesis had entered the room with a drillmon meat sandwich in tow. She set the food on the bedside table and looked on Arme in worry.

'Oh….Lass…hurry up,' Elesis thought to herself.

It was night time of day two of their journey. Lass was quickly closing in on his self-assigned deadline.

Lass urged Moonlight on, "Hyah!" The horse didn't speed up or slow down. Over the course of the two days she'd developed a fondness for the thief. It was hard to tell if he felt the same. Lass was completely absorbed with their destination. Fifteen minutes later, Lass arrived at the stable master's house. He dismounted and checked the door.

"Closed" it read, Lass internally swore.

"Well," he started, "It looks like you're coming with me tonight." Moonlight whinnied excitedly and followed Lass' directions flawlessly, memorizing the route to his house.

As they approached the house/castle, Lass tried to remember where they kept the guest stable. Every now and then, they'd host a party or they'd have a visitor who brought a horse instead of taking a cab. As result, the chase had agreed upon building a stable for such occasions…now…where was it? Lass brought Moonlight to a stop as he pondered the location of the horse containment unit.

"…Athena's condemnation…where is it!" He suddenly spotted the stable house out of the corner of his eye, "Oh…" he said. Lass began steering Moonlight to the stables. After making sure she was comfortable, he set off for Arme. Moonlight slept on the ground that night, thoroughly exhausted from the quest.

Arme slept curled in the window bench of her bedroom. She'd moved there and unlocked the window so that she would wake up when Lass came home. The comforter from their bed was wrapped around her tightly, as it was quite a chill summer night. A light snore came from her as she slept. Lass stood in the tree outside and noticed her presence in the window seat. He jumped onto the ledge gracefully and opened the unlocked window. Arme didn't wake up, so he leapt over her into the room. Arme didn't even stir. Lass saw a glass of water and a half eaten sandwich on the bedside table.

'Perfect,' he thought to himself, 'I don't have to get anything.'

Lass lifted Arme off of the window bench and back into the bed. Arme apparently was dead tired because she still didn't wake up. He wondered for a moment what exhausted her so. He started kissing her to wake her up. Soon she awoke in shock and mild fear. Arme quickly realized who it was and started kissing him back. Lass rapidly took off his backpack and opened it to get the vitamins.

"Here" he said, getting a pill out of the bottle and pulling away from the kiss, "Take this." He handed Arme the pill and grabbed the water. She quickly took the pill. Lass gave her the sandwich and she started eating, "If you take vitamins without eating, you'll get nauseas." Arme nodded gratefully. Lass took off his clothing and put on a fresh pair of underwear and sweat pants to wear to bed. He unwrapped Arme and spread the blanket over the mattress. The thief then laid down next to Arme and held her against him. After she finished her sandwich, Lass pulled Arme against his body and stroked her side lovingly. Her stomach was too far out to provide proper cuddling any other way. She laid on her back and tilted her head into his chest. Lass spooned her while they embraced.

Arme looked up at his face and into his eyes, "I really missed you." Her voice raised a couple notches and her voice quivered. Lass stopped rubbing her side and started caressing her head.

"I'm sorry. I won't have to leave like that again. I bribed him to give me an entire pregnancy supply's worth," He chuckled at the last sentence. She smiled at Lass' antics and nuzzled her head against his chest before falling back asleep.

A/N: Yeayyyyyyy end chapter! Sorry, my internet priviledges have been revoked for the duration of the summer and part way into the next school year. As a result, my motivation for writing, the lovely Utsuro, is missing. I got the motivation back when we started talking on Xbox live WLM (coincidence? I think NOT) so…yeah. Sadly, thanks to by bone-headed bf, THAT might be taken from me too DX. Either way, I think I will still be able to continue writing. I am sooooo excited. We're FINALLY getting into the main plot. I'm sorry about the shortness of this chapter, but it was just a continuation of last chapter (hence the 'parts one and two') I'm happy to be able to meet my self-assigned deadline for this chapter~. I hope you enjoyyyyyed it. Especially the "Ronan under the influence of the Flakes, singing girly songs" part XD. I personally enjoyed it…almost too much. As always, RR&E :3


	8. And Now for the Real Title

Hahahahah, I gotcha Utsy XD. You thought I was on hiatus.*chuckles to self* I jest.

~*~*Lolmobile*~*~

Willow: *running up to Utsy in the chat room bedroom. Tackles to the bed* I MISS CHU! DXXXX

Utsuro: I miss chu too! DXXXX

Sora921: =_=;; aren't you forgetting someone?

Willow: *blink blink* I MISS YOU TOO! *uses telekinesis to bring to the bed and proceeds to cuddle*

Grand Chase: *cocks head in questioning*

Willow: I'm FRICKING grounded from the FRICKING internet. I won't get it back until next school year, after I bring home some honor roll ribbons.

Amy: THAT'S AWFUL! D:

Willow: I knowwww! ~ I officially have no life! DXX Annnnyways, anyone wanna say the disclaimer? *everyone except Sora flees the room* I guess that means you're saying it love~

Sora921: =_=… err…okay.

Disclaimer (as told by Sora): Willowwhip doesn't own the Grand Chase. She DOES however own a ban stick, a fairly sensitive trigger finger, molotovs that she has a tendency to make her teammates become aflame with, and carrot cake...

Willow: Oh Jay, you say that like I'm dangerous ;)

Sora:…

Willow:...Anyways~ Read, Review, and Enjoy~

*premature A/N:* LOL! PUNNNNNZ! =D Ever have that feeling that when Lass manages to pull something off, that it's just barely? I/E: When Lass managed to get home in a day and a half for a three day journey? Well you're about to get a behind the scenes glance at what happens XD Gotta lovva Lazzie =3. ALSO! DO NOT EAT BEFORE OR DURING READING THIS IF YOU ARE SQUEEMISH! The ending is quite nasty, I was writing it and gagging whilst doing so. You won't eat fish for at least a day. I give props to those who can read this chapter and then go to a sushi bar immediately after and eat without puking.

~*~*~Chapter seven~*~*~

Moonlight awoke to the gentle stroking of a human's hand.

"Ohhhhh~ Lassie she's beautiful!~ What's her name?" A purple headed maiden inquired as she lovingly itched behind Moonlight's ear; a sensation that the aforementioned horse was enjoying greatly.

Lass answered "Her name is Moonlight. Don't get too attached, okay? I have to take her back."

Arme groaned but continued to pet her when an idea struck her head, "LASS! Can I ride her?" Moonlight stood up, prepared to be mounted. She was almost looking forward to it.

"ABSOLUTELY NO WAY IN-" Lass was cut off by the unbelievably hopeful look in Arme's eyes. She was pulling the old puppy dog eye manipulation trick.

"_Must…look…away…can't…damn it."_ Lass thought as he struggled with averting his gaze.

"…" Lass was silent, but walked over to the horse.

He whispered into the horse's ear, "She's four months pregnant with triplets. For the love of god, be careful." Moonlight seemed to understand, so Lass hesitantly saddled her up. Arme cheered and bounced over to the horse. Lass lifted Arme up and onto Moonlight with ease.

Lass held the reigns, "Take it slow, I don't want any accidents."

Arme snatched the reigns away and took off like a bullet, all the while cheering. Lass nearly had a heart attack but Arme slowed down and brought her back.

"Oh come on Lassie, I was just trying to scare you. I wouldn't do something that reckless." The expression on Lass' face said otherwise.

Arme sighed and took the horse on a slow gallop around the castle. Lass groaned but didn't protest. He just walked over to a flowered tree and rested while observing. Arme rode around; long cream-colored gown flowing behind her gracefully. It was a square-neck with gold trim. The dress had elastic in it to provide room for a growing child, or in this case, three. Truth-be-told, Lass wasn't all that concerned about Moonlight. Earlier that morning he'd seen gentleness in her eyes and motions that wasn't there before. After fifteen minutes of riding, Arme led Moonlight back to the tree Lass was relaxing by. Arme slid off of Moonlight and stumbled toward Lass. He opened his arms to catch the woman and she deliberately fell into him. Lass pulled her close and Arme nuzzled into him. Moonlight found a comfortable position on the ground and laid there. After a moment Arme looked up at Lass with a hopeful glance.

"We should go out on a date," Arme announced, "Tonight."

Lass was shocked and looked away contemplatively, '_We haven't gone out in a while and I don't think there'd be too big of a risk…'_ Suddenly Lass remembered something.

Lass smiled mischievously, "Where did you have in mind?"

"Well, we could go out to dinner like usual…but I was kinda hoping we could also go to the summer gala. I know you hate dancing, but I really want to," Arme bounced lightly to express her desire to go to the dance.

Lass sighed emphatically and rolled his head back. Arme begged and got as close to him as possible. She placed her hands on his chest and craned her head up, "Please? I really want to dance with you."

Lass groaned loudly and made the mistake of looking at Arme again. After going through the internal struggle against his lover's gaze and losing again, he almost suggested they dance in the bedroom, alone, but knew that it would do no good.

"What time?"

Arme inwardly cheered, "Seven P.M. The rest of us are going so I'm really happy you accepted!"

"Mmm," Lass mused, "So we'll have to get out of here about five P.M.?" Arme nodded, "It's noon now."

Lass reclined, "Alright. We'll go." Arme shrieked, bounced, and hugged Lass gleefully before hopping up and heading to the house. Lass suddenly realized how dressy she was clothed.

"I hope you're not wearing that to the ball."

Arme spun around and looked at Lass with a hurt expression, "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

Lass shook his head, "You're wearing it now. It could get dirty and then you'd have nothing to wear."

"…I'll go change…" Arme said as she realized Lass was right. He sighed and relaxed on the tree until he couldn't see her anymore. _'Mood swings,'_ Lass thought to himself. After she was gone, he realized he had to take the horse back to the rental place and get a new horse. Moonlight would work, but he didn't want to take any chances. Lass sighed once more, grunted, then lifted himself up off the ground to get the horse.

~*~*Moonlight POV*~*~

Moonlight felt like the happiest animal on the planet. She had the most delicious, green grass she'd ever tasted, the most beautiful landscaping she'd ever seen, and everyone seemed to like her. Not once since Moonlight had come under Lass' possession had she been whipped or hurt. The thought of her still fresh wounds in both her mouth and neck made the mare want to cry. Even though it'd been three days, the injury from her training was still fresh and waiting for an unsuspecting human to brush against it. Moonlight had been lucky so far, but who knows how much longer that'd last? She tried to keep her mind off of such painful thoughts. The horse focused solely on eating the grass right next to the forest. It was so juicy and well fed that she was almost positive someone took care of it. 

"Hey! What are you doing here?" An orange-headed elf asked bounding over to Moonlight. He went to use her neck as a boost onto her back and Moonlight reared. The man recoiled in shock but calmed down when Moonlight did.

He frowned, "Why did you do that?" Suspicious, the man gently touched Moonlight's back and worked his way up until he got a reaction. The horse pulled away as he reached the lower neck. He went around to Moonlight's other side and looked at the area. What he saw nearly caused him to vomit.

There were several large gashes engraved into her neck. Some of them had blood coming from them, others not so much. A couple of the less deep ones had mostly healed over, but predominantly they were all open.

"Oh my god" his eyes were wide. He stroked Moonlight's nose fur and stared deeply into her eyes.

"Hey Ryan," Lass called, "I see you've met Moonlight."

He looked up at Lass with horror-struck eyes. "What?" Lass asked.

Ryan pulled Lass aside and whispered at him harshly. He whispered back in a much gentler tone. Ryan replied with something and Lass said something else at a slightly elevated tone.

Ryan then lost his cool then, "You are NOT returning that horse to a life of misery!"

Lass replied just as hotly, "I HAVE to. She's a RENTAL."

The orange-haired man stormed off into the forest after transforming into a wolf. Moonlight was taken aback for a moment, but shortly after, Lass hopped on her back and took a closer look at her wounds. Afterwards he directed Moonlight silently to their next destination. She couldn't determine his reaction and the way he rode her didn't leave any implication of emotion. Moonlight briefly wondered where they were going but put it out of her mind. It wasn't like she could ask and she would find out soon enough anyway. She let her mind float on auto-pilot.

That is, until she heard an all too familiar voice.

"Good to have you back sir! Did it drive well?"

Moonlight's heart stopped dead in its tracks. That annoyingly chipper voice rang in her head like a siren alerting a horde of dogs. It resounded in her head, much like a horde of dogs barking and screeching until the noise is removed. The flurry of emotions coursing through Moonlight's veins clouded her mind and almost made her lose her balance.

"Moonlight drove beautifully," he stated the 'Moonlight' part louder than the rest, "I'm actually looking for a horse to ride to the ball tonight. I'm not sure if I want to trade her in or keep her. I'm going to look around." Lass declared. His voice cut through the chaos and brought relief back into Moonlight's soul. His tone was curious, explorative, and somewhat suspicious; not as cold and indifferent as their trek to the ranch. She still had a chance! As if she hadn't been already, Moonlight was on her best behavior.

Moonlight watched calmly as he went around, inspecting the horses. As he did so, something did not go unnoticed. He would gently and swiftly inspect the necks of the horses. She saw his eyes become clouded with poorly hidden anger. It wouldn't be noticed by the arrogant scum bag but it was obvious to everyone else in the room. The other horses had much more scarring from multiple years of training. It was never finished. Lass' physical movement grew faster and more aggressive as he went along. The man didn't stop to inquire until he got to the last horse.

"The last horse I'm going to show you is called Old Faithful. Her name used to be Faith but we changed it because she was our first horse. She's never let us down once in all of her twelve years. If you don't mind the slowness, she's-"

"Stop right there," Lass said, putting up his hand and mounting Moonlight, "I don't need to see anymore. I'm going to stick with Moonlight," Moonlight mentally cheered, "As a matter of fact, how much does she cost? I will buy her from you right now."

Moonlight was shocked, '_Is he serious?'_ As if Lass knew she was stunned, he petted her head for reassurance. The rancher had the same thoughts apparently.

"Are you serious Sir Lass? You want to buy such a poorly trained horse from us to take your date to a dance and keep for yourself?" Lass nodded, "Well…She's got a lot of potential and she's young. She'll cost more than the standard."

"Yeah I figured," Lass said getting out his gold pouch, "I'm sure twenty gold coins will take care of it."

The man smiled greedily, "Yes it will Sir." In a small act of anger, Lass took the coins out and sprinkled them on the ground before the man. In one last act of rebellion, as the two were leaving, Moonlight hit the stable master in the face with her tail.

Remembering the trail, Moonlight started going full speed ahead towards home. It felt amazing to be able to think 'home'. She could pretend her duration at the ranch house was just a nightmare and that she was really the luckiest horse alive. She lived at the most wonderful house owned by the most wonderful people that sat on the most wonderful grass in existence. Her thoughts were interrupted when Lass steered her towards town instead of towards home. Twenty four minutes passed and the two were in the core of the shopping district. Lass got a few of the groceries that were needed and some saddle bags for Moonlight. While there he got horse bathing supplies and general maintenance things. He asked around for where he could get a horse physical and such. After a little while of asking, he got his answer. There was a trusted veterinary clinic just on the outside of the shopping area. Lass thanked the woman he got the answer from and went on his way.

Lass paid for his items and hitched up the saddle bags. He went to a flower shop to get a corsage. Moonlight sat bored outside the shop. She looked outside for any delicious grass to consume but found none. Snorting quietly she laid down to rest. Moonlight drifted off.

She awoke to the chiming of a bell. It was the door that Lass had just come out of. Moonlight quickly stood up to allow him access to his storage units. Lass put away the items and got back on moonlight. He checked the sky groaned thoughtfully. He hesitated a moment more before directing them in the opposite direction of home. Lass looked at the times of operation for the bookshops as they passed. Eventually, he had led her to a veterinary clinic, assumingly the same one that the lady from before had mentioned. Lass got off and went to go in, but discovered the line ended at the door. He had to wait outside. They were busy that day…

Lass tapped his foot impatiently. He didn't seem to have much patience all of a sudden. The line moved to accommodate Lass' entry so Moonlight watched from the window. It was a short wait, but by the time Lass got up to the counter several people had appeared behind him. He was speaking with the male at the counter, presumably regarding Moonlight. After he got done explaining something, the man handed him a paper to sign. Lass took it and sat down. Many people were staring at him. For some reason they felt that Lass was a special person.

'_So it isn't just me, is it? They think he's special too.'_ Moonlight observed to herself. Lass was writing quickly and finished a page within five minutes. He lifted the page to find another page and sighed. Lass finished that paper half way before pausing. He lifted the rest of the pages to see how much more he had to sign. He groaned when he saw that there were two more papers. Lass hastily wrote down all the information and blew through the two and a half pages in thirty minutes. He turned the papers in but in the time it took to fill them out, an elderly lady took his place. Lass had to take another thirty minutes just to make sure the information was correct. She gave him her stamp of approval and Lass calmly walked out the door. He got on Moonlight and looked at the sky.

"Shit, it's three thirty." He steered Moonlight away from the clinic and to the nearest open bookshop. On the way there, he was mildly concerned about making it on time. Apparently he never 'cut it this close' before. He launched off and ran into the shop upon arrival.

Moonlight could not see into the store. It had tinted glass. After fifteen minutes, Moonlight lay down and went to sleep.

Exactly forty five minutes later, Lass came bursting from the door and speedily putting the books into one of the bags on Moonlight's side. He got on and whispered into the mare's ear.

"Listen, I have to get home to take Arme to dinner at five. It's four thirty right now. I need to get home as fast as horse-ly possible. Can you do that?" Moonlight nodded and stood up. She took off at a break neck pace towards home.

After they arrived, Lass jumped off and grabbed the groceries. He scaled the wall in twenty seconds and jumped into a room. He came out ten minutes later with a smiling Arme under his arm.

"How do you do it? You're so fast~" She said smiling up at him.

Lass winked at Moonlight, "I had some help."

Arme sighed and kissed Lass' chest, "You're amazing," Lass got on the horse and helped up his lover. She sat sideways on it as was appropriate. She bent down to kiss Moonlight's head as well, "Thank you. He couldn't do it without you." If horses could smile, Moonlight would be beaming. They trotted gently through town to a lovely restaurant.

"Lass!" Arme gasped, "This place requires reservations!"

"Don't worry, I was prepared." He pulled out a pair of dining tickets.

Arme stared at him in disbelief, "No, there's no way that you…Lass? You have to make reservations…a month in advance at least…Bribery and intimidation both don't work. Elesis tried already."

"Elesis didn't make reservations a month in advance."

"But I just asked you out today!"

"But that doesn't mean I didn't know you'd ask me out."

Arme was taken aback, "You're a mental ninja too?"

Lass laughed loudly before shaking his head and sighing, "You're funny. No I'm not a mental ninja. I knew about the summer gala beforehand. In the off chance you didn't ask me I was planning on taking you anyways. I almost forgot because of all the baby things that needed to be taken care of. I'd gone to the extent of having my tux cleaned from the LAST dancing event we had, and put together, and with the tickets in the pockets just to make sure that I didn't forget them."

"You don't forget objects," Arme said.

"No, I don't, but I do obsess over them if they aren't taken care of immediately."

"Oh." The couple fell into silence for a moment before Lass broke it.

"Well, we have these ticket reservations and a dance to get to, would you like to go in?"

Arme tilted her head back, "Yes! I'm STARVING." Lass smiled at her and got down before offering her hand. Arme giggled and fell into him. He hitched up Moonlight to the parking area. The restaurant was packed that night. Lass took Arme's hand and walked to the eatery. Moonlight laid down and went to sleep.

~*~*LassxArmePOV*~*~

Lass wrapped his arm around her once they walked in. He kissed her head on the way in and she leaned into him. They had to wait in line to be served. People that passed them looked at Arme oddly and then at Lass. He didn't seem to notice but Arme sure did. She caught sight of a couple of females glancing at her and then whispering. One was an elderly lady and the other was a young adult. She cast a very small enhanced hearing spell to hear what they were whispering.

"Wow, Arme sure has let herself go. I wonder why Lass still stays with her."

"Now now, don't say things like that. She looks lovely."

"But she's fat!"

"Well, are you sure for a fact?"

"Grammie, she's…just OBVIOUSLY fat."

"She and Lass have been an item for over five years in the same house. Do you know any couples who have been together that long without taking their relationship to the next level?"

"What are you saying?"

"She could be pregnant."

"No way, I saw her just a couple months ago and she was flat tummied."

"That's even more evidence to her pregnancy. Gaining weight doesn't happen that fast that naturally. If that's all fat then she must have gained at least forty pounds of pure body fat that is solid. She's obviously pregnant."

"Well…"

"Mmmhm, you know I'm right."

"Shaddup"

The women giggled and then walked out of the building. Arme clutched tighter to Lass' waist self-conciously. Lass looked down with mild confusion but rubbed her side with the arm that was holding her. He didn't need a hearing spell to know what they were saying. Truth be told, everyone in the room was saying the same thing. One of the perks of being him was an enhanced hearing ability and the ability to read lips. Lass held on to Arme tighter in reassurance. Sadly, the spell didn't wear off for quite some time, it lasted at full strength for an hour and then slowly faded. Arme could hear everything that everyone was saying and it almost made her cry. Lass knew what Arme was thinking and feeling but he couldn't do anything verbal until later. Impatiently, Lass tapped his foot again and glared at the head of the person before him. Fifteen minutes passed before the couple could be seated.

"Sir Lass, Table for two?" A cheerful heavy set blonde said as the two approached the serving podium.

Lass nodded and felt Arme ease up. He imagined her thoughts were along the lines of, _"Thank god there's someone bigger than me here." _The woman had looked down to mark them off the reservation list.

"Right this way!" The woman with the name tag 'Aqua' said as she led them to a table, "Arme, may I say that you look positively lovely today? You're practically glowing." It was obvious that she was testing the water.

Arme replied, "Yes, thank you. I'm pregnant so that explains the glowing."

She sighed in relief, "That's good. I wanted to say something but I wasn't sure and I didn't want to offend you…"

"Don't worry about it," Arme said, shrugging it off, "If you heard some of the things that people were saying-"

"I DID. I was SO ANGRY. I've been there before so I know how it feels. It pisses me off like crazy!"

Arme smiled and nodded. It was nice to encounter someone who understood. They had stopped.

"Well, this is your table! Sit down and relax and a server will be with you shortly. Here are your menus. Have a great meal."

Lass nodded, "Thank you, we will" Arme smiled at Lass.

"She was nice." Lass nodded and sat down to look at the menu. Arme followed suit in the opposite chair. She looked through the menu at all of the appetizing dishes. Her mouth started to produce excessive amounts of saliva and Arme had to work at not drooling. She couldn't decide what she wanted! It all looked so good!

"Do you know what you want?" Lass asked. His voice cut through the thought process of Arme's mind.

She sighed emphatically, "I don't know. They all look so good! It's hard to choose just one!"

Lass rolled his eyes, "Well you don't have to get just one. If you can eat it in under an hour it's fine."

"But Lassie, that'd look bad. And this is an expensive place!"

Lass sighed, "We're the Grand Chase. You're honestly concerned about money? I'm sure that we owe these people enough favors from the missions that if I asked, we could eat here all DAY for free."

Arme sighed but Lass held her hand, "If you want a limit, five selections over all. That means you can have two or three of whatever and still have a three course meal. I'm sure the dance won't take too long. We can always pack up what we don't eat and take it home."

"You have a point," Arme perked up, "Do you really think it'd be okay?"

Lass nodded and smiled assuringly, "I promise."

Arme smiled and blew Lass a kiss. He grinned back for a second before letting the smile drop.

She quickly picked out five meals that she wanted; one appetizer, two main courses, and two desserts. Lass himself already knew what he wanted from the moment he laid eyes on the menu. It had a picture of a giant slice of cherry pie with every topping imaginable. He was going to let Arme get the appetizer, order an armored lobster arm for his main course, and then a giant piece of cherry pie for desert.

An overly bubbly, ditzy girl with skin the color of caramel, obviously from over tanning, and sun bleached hair bounced over. Her clothes were four sizes too small and had she had a beer gut that was still visible despite the thick, too-tightly-tied apron. She wore her hair in a long, braided pony tail. The girl halted next to Lass, sticking her pelvis next to his face to counter-weight herself. The scent reminded him of fish. He did not want to eat armored lobster for dinner. She backed up once she became sturdy.

"Hai! I'm Kyla!" She squawked, "I'll be yer waitress today! What can I gettcha?"

Arme obviously didn't see that display of violation, "I want the mashed potato pierogies for the appetizer, two prime rib steaks both medium well with the side of fries for dinner. I'll order dessert later. What do you want Lassie?"

"I'll have the prime rib steak medium rare for dinner with the side of cheese stuffed bread. I'll order dessert with her."

Kyla nodded as she got down their orders, "What do you want to drink?"

"Hot chocolate!" Arme exclaimed with a kitty face on. Lass smiled briefly at her child-like love of hot chocolate.

"Do you serve coffee at five-thirty in the evening?" She nodded, "Alright, I want black coffee please."

She continued to nod. Kyla turned to Arme, "What do you want? Marshmallows, whipped cream, or plain?"

Arme thought for a moment before replying, "Whipped cream please."

Kyla wrote it down, still nodding. _'Why is she nodding so much? Is it a habit that people pick up or something?'_ Lass thought to himself. She stopped writing after she finished the order. She grabbed the menus away, Arme's was taken rough whereas Lass' was taken slowly and seductively…if it's even possible to do that. She placed her free hand on Lass' chest and slid her hand along his collar bone as she left.

"I'll be right back with your drink," She whispered into his ear. Lass shuddered in disgust. The entire situation did not go unnoticed by Arme this time.

She leaned in and whispered, "What the hell was that?" Lass shrugged.

"I have no idea. I think she likes me or something."

"You think? That chick was on you like flies on cow crap! Fix that situation! I have to pee." Arme got up and went into the bathroom with her purse. Lass sighed. At that moment Kyla decided to come back with their drinks . She set Lass' down and licked him as she came up. Lass coughed in disgust, grabbed a napkin from the table and wiped his neck and cheek. It smelled like evil. If evil had a scent that is what it would smell like. It's something you just KNOW from the bottom of your heart and with every ounce of your soul. He felt ill. He stood up and walked to the manager.

"Where are you going sweetie?" Kyla asked. Lass didn't turn around to answer her. He kept walking. He found the manager checking to see how people's meals were going. Lass grabbed the man's forearm to get his attention.

"Sir, we need to talk."

"Just one moment."

"Your waitress licked me. On the face. And on the neck. I want a different server. Now."

That got his attention, "Was it Kyla?" Lass nodded, "KYLA! Get over here!"

"Yes sir!~" She called from the table. She skipped over to Lass, "Enjoy your drinks~"

He shook his head in disgust before proceeding to go back to the table. He got back just in time; Arme was exiting the bathroom. She sat down wordlessly and took a sip of her drink.

"I got us a different server. That nasty witch licked me." Arme's brows furrowed and she looked at him. She looked back down.

"That's gross." She said. She was upset by Kyla and Lass knew it. What he wasn't sure about was if he was directing that anger at herself, Kyla, or him. Lass took a sip of his coffee, wondering and trying to figure out her body language. He realized quickly that something was wrong with his beverage. Something solid tickled in his throat as he was swallowing. He frowned trying to figure it out. One of the tickly substances got caught on the side of Lass' cheek. Suspicions formed, but he didn't want to think of that option. Nonetheless, Lass set his coffee down and scraped his cheek. His eyes widened in horror as he felt the shape of the object.

"Lass, what's wrong?" Arme asked as she saw his expression. Lass' face was a very light green and pale. Sweat glistened on his forehead. He pulled his finger out to reveal what was tickling his cheek.

A pubic hair.

That disgusting whore put her pubic hair in Lass' coffee.

Her pubic hair was inside of him.

Lass vomited and passed out.

A/N: ROFL! PUUUUUBES~ XD I wanted to puke as I wrote that part. I was going to continue, but I realized that that was a perfect time to end the chapter. I wanted to finish this before I return to school in TWO DAYS! Preferably today so that I could say that I finished 'Hand of Sorrow' yesterday and Chappie Seven of UC today. I would have been able to make my quota…but this is just so lovely. I hope all of you still have your cookies. That's what the warning up top was about. Hopefully it was funny enough for you! AI LOVEZ YEW!~ *huggles audience*


	9. Death and Hoping for a Better Tomorrow

Jewbie: OMG LAUREL I'M IN YOUR FANFIC!

Willow: I KNOW! =D

Jewbie: It's almost like that one time I was in Sponge Bob!

Willow: ROFL. XD. Anyways WELCOME! *dances* To my Fanfic~ *dances more* I put Chasers in it! It's fantaaaastic~ There's lots of humor and some baaabieeees. And you better read it, or you're gonna DIIIIEEEIIIIIIIIIE. *record scratch*

Jewbie: Uuuuuh, Laurel?

Willow: Yes Jewbz?

Jewbie: Did you just say that people will die if they don't read your fanfic?

Willow: …

Jewbie: …

Willow: …SAY THE DISCLAIMER! *spawns cricket bat in hand and hits Jewbie into the disclaiming room*

Jewbie: Pendejoooooooooo *thud* Hmmm, that hurt substantially less than I thought it would. ANYWAYS!  
Disclaimer: Willow doesn't own Grand Chase, Nutella, or a cell phone. She DOES however still possess the doll she was going to make me for my birthday.

Willow: DAMMIT WOMAN I'M BUSY! I'm working on it.

P.S. While I do agree with the simple truth that Lassie is amazing, I don't think that he should be flawless in all that he does. =3

~*~*Chapter 8*~*~

Lass awoke to the sight of a black haired female hovering over him. He couldn't bring his eyes to focus so he couldn't recognize the woman. Instead, he tried to remember all the females who had black hair possible. Giving up, Lass tried to remember who he was with last…Arme; in a restaurant. He listened for her sweet voice and heard it speaking in a worried tone about him to the female. Good, she was okay. Lass decided it would be alright if he allowed himself to slip into unconsciousness again.

The next time Lass came to; he was at home, in his bed. Arme lay next to him, sleeping. Lass struggled for clarity. It must have been around ten at night. The ball was just about over. Arme was wearing her pajamas. She obviously didn't expect to be going out for the rest of the night. Lass stood up only to be hit by a wave of dizziness.

"_What the hell? I was fine earlier today. I'm not sick. I can't be. Illness doesn't strike that fast and hard…why did I pass out again?" _Lass remembered a little too quickly and he almost sat down again. He moved with haste to the bathroom to wash his face and disinfect his mouth. Lass noted that everyone else was gone, most likely at the gala. After he reached the bathroom and turned the light on, Lass decided to shower as well. There was no telling the germs that were on his face. Lass shuddered at the memory. He took the shower first, scrubbing every inch of his body and rubbing his face raw in an attempt to get every piece of infected skin off. Fifteen minutes of that made for a clean and shiny Lass. He got out and dried off quickly. Since the hair style he wore didn't require much maintenance, Lass shook his head dry. He grabbed his toothbrush and began to use the same technique that he did on his face earlier for his teeth. Lass was tempted to use bleach as mouth wash but decided against it seeing as the acid would probably be bad for his health. Lass spent another ten minutes brushing his teeth, flossing them, and using antiseptic mouthwash. He realized that his mouth was as clean as it was going to get shortly after and left to return to his lover's side. She stirred from her sleep and felt the bed for him. As Arme discovered that he was missing she bolted upright in bed and looked to the window, then the door. Lass smiled in the darkness and approached the sleeping area. Lass laid down next to his girlfriend who promptly embraced him.

"You scared me," Arme said with a tearful voice, "I thought you'd left again." Lass rubbed her back lovingly.

"It's okay. I'm not going to leave you again."

She sniffed, crying, "You passed out in the restaurant. I was so worried. I summoned Clarice. Luckily she was still in town. Her shopping had been delayed due to the summer gala."

Lass had his arm wrapped around her and his right hand caressed the back of Arme's head. He let her cry it out. If there was one thing that pregnancy was famous for, it was the aggressive mood swings.

"I'm sorry. It's not every day that you find the pubic hair of someone you're disgusted by in your coffee," Lass explained. Arme just continued to cry.

She couldn't understand why she was so upset. Nothing had happened. Lass seemed to understand well enough, so she just went with it. Arme nuzzled her head into Lass' chest and waited for her emotions to calm down. Just as Arme was cooling off, her stomach growled. Lass brought his head back to look at Arme.

"You didn't eat did you?" Arme shook her head no. Lass sighed, "Well let's get you something to eat."

He stood up and then helped Arme to her feet. Leading her to the kitchen, Lass listened to Arme chatter about what happened after he passed out. She filled him in with great detail on the intricacies that went on during his unconscious vacation. After they arrived, Lass got set to work finding something ready to eat for Arme. He remembered the groceries he bought earlier and pulled out a package of soft cookies and a jar of Nutella. Lass had bought it because Arme had been complaining about a Nutella/cookie craving. Lass grabbed a butter knife and handed Arme the items. Her eyes widened.

"Oh my gods you remembered!" Arme shouted joyously, "I didn't expect this!"

Lass smirked, "You said it yourself, I don't forget things." Lass set about making a quick stir-fry while Arme was busy with her Nutella cookies. Soon the smell of cooking oil, meat, and vegetables filled the air. It took about thirty minutes to get the veggies right, but it was worth it. Lass served the stir-fry.

"Yummy!" she exclaimed, "Thank you."

Lass smiled back at her, "No problem." He said nothing more and let his smile drop. They ate in silence until the rest of the group came home. Arme pointed at the refrigerator.

"Can you get me something to drink?" She would have continued with "This is salty" or "This is spicy" but she chose not to because it would most likely make Lass feel bad. He was trying to make up for the evening.

Lass nodded and got up to get her a glass of milk. He returned with the white, thick, substance and handed it to his lover. She gratefully accepted it and drank from the goblet of relief. Arme sighed happily after drinking about half of the liquid in the glass. She set it down and continued eating. After finishing the other half of the food and drinking the rest of her milk, Arme brought her dishes to the sink. Lass seemed to be deep in thought, so she sat next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. He jumped slightly, woken from his contemplative mindset but relaxed when he saw that it was only Arme. Lass wrapped his arm around her and thought of everything that needed to be thought out, almost meditating. It was only when Arme tugged at his arm that he realized he was falling asleep.

The two Chasers toddled back to their rooms. Lass uncovered the bed and Arme got in, sliding to the end. Lass entered after and tucked himself in before indulging in the restful pursuits. Arme wrapped her arms around him and snuggled in before passing out. Lass returned the hug and went to sleep as well.

The Striker was the first to awaken from their slumber, so he gently moved his arms around his lover and stroked her head. Arme subconsciously nuzzled her face into Lass' bare chest and bit his pectoral area with her teeth, covered by her lips.

"Drillmon~" She said, licking him once before ceasing in her advances on him. It took Lass all of his self-restraint to keep from laughing and waking her up. She snored lightly and Lass decided to contemplate everything. He placed his hand that was stroking her head on her abdomen and thought of the future, bemusedly. Little did he know that the one which he held was in danger, struggling for its life with a magical force.

Lass drifted off out of boredom, only to be awoken by Arme, screaming in her sleep. The man leapt from the bed and shook his girlfriend awake. The sky was beginning to be bright.

"Arme!" he yelled, "Wake up! It's a dream!" Arme woke up and looked at Lass with tearful eyes.

"Lass…" she cringed and tried to curl protectively around her abdomen. She ended up clutching her belly instead and trying not to scream. Tears fell uncontrollably. Lass was visibly distraught at this sight. Obviously he was wrong about it being "only a dream". He was at a loss for what to do, as a matter of fact, he didn't even know what was wrong.

"Arme what's wrong?" She didn't answer, but he pulled away the covers so that whatever could be done to help her wouldn't be hindered by them. The darkness did nothing to hinder the stench that arose from the sheets. The stench of…blood.

"MOTHER!" Arme screamed. Lass was confused, "CLARICE!" Tears punctuated the expression of agony on her face. Suddenly, a plan formulated in Lass' mind. He flew out of the door to the bedroom and raced down to the nearest healing person's room, Amy.

*BANGBANGBANG* "AMY!" Lass shouted from the bottom of his soul, "AMY!" He tried to get louder but couldn't. The musician opened the door calmly. "What's wrong Lass?"

"Arme's bleeding!" He proclaimed before running off to Elesis and Ronan's room. Amy's eyebrows quirked upward as she glided over to Jin.

She grabbed him by the hand, "Come on!" She shouted, pulling him along in a manner that may have suggested she had wings.

"aaaAAAAAAH!" Jin said as Amy dragged him to the room Arme was in.

Lass moved with deadly speed over to Elesis' room. He went to knock on the door in the same way he knocked on Amy's door but it fell down. The Striker amounted it to excessive slamming from Elesis' rage storms. The aforementioned female bolted upright in bed. As she grabbed her sword, the only one kept at her bedside for this exact purpose, and launched herself at Lass. The man halted her by grabbing her wrists. He was prepared for it.

"Arme's in trouble in her room, bring Ronan!" She halted her attack, having woken up in the same manner multiple times before.

Lass made his way to the door, mind set on finding Clarice. He grabbed his thief-ware and headed out the door, only to run into what he sought. Lass tried to explain the situation to Clarice, but she was already in the door and headed up to Arme's room. The woman's Elven ears twitched irritatedly.

"I knew something wasn't right with her." She muttered to herself over and over again. Janet was clinging to Clarice's dress hem frightened but silent. Lass grabbed firm hold of Clarice's arm. She didn't stop, but her ears twitched as to show she was paying attention.

Lass attempted to explain again, "Arme's bleeding."

"Where?"

"I…don't know. I didn't look too closely…"

"What general area?"

"Um…her…legs?"

Clarice didn't respond. The woman increased her pace slightly until she gave up and summoned a disk of ice. She hopped on and pulled the other two up with her. The transportation vessel moved with a speed faster than Lass could run. He held on for dear life onto the cleric as she controlled the ice disk. They arrived within seconds.

She evaporated the vehicle and stormed into the room where Ronan and Amy were casting regeneration magic over Arme. Lire and Ryan could be seen running towards the door from Lass' perspective.

"It's not working!" Amy shouted. Elesis was in tears. Clarice entered and pushed her way over to Arme. The girl was shaking from the pain. The healer used magic to forcively calm her down and at the same time, search Arme's body for the problem. She knew everything that should have progressed in that short amount of time. Clarice saw nothing out of the norm until she came to the womb. One of the children was struggling with a magical parasite. Another was trying to assist the fighting child and the last…well…

Clarice thought no more, she tore the magical disaster from Arme then and surrounded it in a magic barrier. Gasps arose from the group, but she paid no mind to them, she simply set about destroying the thing. Upon killing it, it entered a petrified state, after it died, she handed the thing to Janet, who promptly put it in her bag. Clarice sat on Arme's bed and stopped all the bleeding before doing anything else. She checked everything else for damage and found the only thing damaged besides the dead baby was the other baby who'd been struggling. She healed Arme and the children to the best of her abilities.

The pain had subsided and Arme rested her head on the pillow. Lass came and sat next to Arme. He started stroking her head concerned. Elesis was glaring at Clarice as if she'd cause harm to Arme if the knight looked away. Lire was holding Ryan's hands in worry. Ronan and Amy had gone to wash their hands. Blood had gotten on them as they attempted to stop the bleeding. Jin stood off in the back, silently observing everyone. Seighart and Mari were not in the room, they'd slept through the mayhem.

Clarice pulled back from healing Arme and her children. Lass spoke up first.

"What's going-" He was cut off by Clarice's lack of attention paid to him. She stood and exposed Arme's belly. It was bruised from all the blood released. With magic coating her index finger, she drew a sun-like picture over the naval. She placed her right hand over it gently and chanted something.

"Janet, blanket please." Janet hurriedly pulled out a baby blanket from the bag. She understood what was going on because it'd happened multiple times before. Clarice's hand went through Arme's abdomen. The pregnant woman didn't notice because she was passed out. The rest of the room stood in awe. Clarice pulled out a fetus and severed the umbilical cord in the proper location. Lass stood quickly and walked over to them; Clarice washed the child and put her in the blanket.

"She was a girl." Lass took the child from Clarice tentatively, still unaware. He was smiling lightly as he held the bundle. He looked to her face and was filled with an overwhelming joy…until he noticed that she wasn't moving. The smile fell as he glared intensely at the child's face. There should be some movement, some breath, some crying, SOMETHING.

"What's wrong with my baby?" Lass asked. He looked up at Clarice who went back to attending to Arme and her children. Lass looked about the room. Everyone was staring sadly at his child.

'_Stillborn, stillborn, stillborn, stillborn, stillborn, stillborn'_ His mind chanted; a twisted melody that floated in his brain, driving him mad.

"S-s-s-stillborn?" Lass asked to no one in particular. He was shaking slightly. He placed the baby on the bed and went over to Clarice.

"What happened?" He asked. Lass asked in a tone that was more like a demand for knowledge.

Clarice didn't answer him, she continued to heal and replenish life to the three beings in front of her. He went to pull her away, but Janet stood in front of her.

"Yes, she was a stillborn. Master Altraice is trying to heal the others." Lass did no more. He walked to the window and leapt out.

…

Janet ran over to the window and looked for him; he was bounding across trees. No one else was concerned about Lass, he did that frequently. Janet sighed in relief and walked back over to Clarice's side. She wanted to ask Clarice what to do with the child, but didn't want to disturb her.

Thirty minutes later, everyone save for Elesis evacuated the room. The knight had pulled up a chair and watched Clarice sit and heal Arme. She'd taken to daydreaming until Clarice sighed abruptly and rested her head on Arme's abdomen.

"Child, you are so troublesome, but I love you…so..." Clarice emitted another sigh and rested her forehead against Arme's belly, "And YOU better not get hurt anymore. That wasn't funny." Clarice rubbed Arme's side affectionately and stood up. She rubbed her eyes before looking around. Elesis was staring at the healer intently.

She sighed for the third time, "I'm assuming you want to know what happened?" Elesis didn't need to nod.

"There was a magical parasite in her body. It was identical to the one I pulled out of Lass last night, so I'm assuming that it came from the same place."

"Woah, woah, woah… what?" Elesis was thoroughly confused.

Clarice yawned and then continued, "Yes. I pulled one out of Lass last night when …okay, they went to a restauraunt yesterday apparently. I was passing by when someone came out calling for a medic. I entered and pulled out the parasite. I asked Arme if she was okay and she said she was fine. I should have known better." Elesis nodded, still not grasping. Clarice lightly sighed once more.

" Should be heading down to talk to everyone and collect my Charge. You should try to wake up Arme and talk to her. I'll be back up in a minute."

Elesis nodded again and sat on the edge of the bed. She didn't want to wake up Arme but what must be done, must be done.

"Arme?"

A/N: This is the actual ending of the chapter. Yeah, I know I'm evil and the chapter was poorly written, not to mention short. It's important that this happens though! You'll understand later! I swear it!

But for now, I understand you're all very upset with me. I can handle it. Don't stop reading though, things get better, I promise.

-Willow~


	10. Moving on

Setting: Garden Tea Party  
Clarice: *sip* Oh hai~ Welcome back, have you been successful in your search for prewar books?

Hinahime+Hiromi: *Blink, Continue sipping tea.*

Clarice: Gahhh...screw you guys. You're no fun.~ So, I'm back to writing UC!

Hiromi: Oh, that one thing you threatened the audience in?

Hinahime: Yeah, that was creepy =D

Clarice:...Yes. Anyways, so I'm writing again. Sorry I took a small Hia-

Hinahime: *Glares at intensely*

Clarice: Ah...leave from writing, but I'm back now =3

Hiromi+Hinahime: *Cheer*

Studio Audience: WOOO! YEAH! *whistling*

Clarice: lol, thank you, I'll do my best! XD

Disclaimer: I don't own Grand Chase, good grades, good attendance, or good health, but I DO own my first set of Dice! *pulls out D-20* His name is Midnighthero!

*group laughs*

Midnighthero: SHUTUP! *razors cut the people who laughed*

Me *hugs Midnight*

Midnight: =D

As always, read, review, and enjoy!

A/N: P.S. Sorry for killing a baby! I promise you'll understand eventually! D=

~*~Lassrawr~*~

Lass relaxed by the riverside as he contemplated everything that just happened. He allowed his emotions to run rampant throughout his body. It was a large amount to take in. His girlfriend was in pain, blood, he was a father, and lastly that baby was dead. For the first time in forever, Lass wanted to cry.

He didn't, his eyes never even watered, but the grief he felt was strong. His soul felt shattered into thousands of pieces. Lass turned over to the creek and washed his face with the cool water. A fresh feeling came over him and the Striker's mood felt slightly uplifted. Lass took off his boots and socks and put his feet in the water, sitting at the edge. He felt the water rush between his toes; a calming feeling. Lass sighed in relief from the summer heat. The water was luke-warm, but that was how Lass preferred it.

The man had nearly drifted off when the water before him rippled and the basic, liquid form of Clarice appeared. She rematerialized next to Lass, taking on a clothed form. The healer/water elementalist sat and hugged her knees to her chest before starting to use her empathic abilities.

Lass felt calmer, like a wave of coolness had washed over him. Clarice spoke.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Lass scoffed, "My child just died. I'm not okay."

Clarice sighed, "Well you will be relieved to know everyone else is okay." As strange as it seemed, Lass DID start to feel a little better.

"There's something else you should know. One of your children, the girl, will be born weak," Lass groaned "And the child…has two auras."

Lass' eyebrows cringed together, trying to think. Clarice continued.

"I believe the soul of the…deceased one, combined itself with her when she died."

After a moment Lass came up with a response, "So what does this mean?"

"It means you have a child with two spirits."

'_Nooooot very helpful.'_ Lass wanted to say. "Hmm…" Is what he actually said.

"Arme's awake and I'm sure she wants to see you."

Lass nodded and pulled out of the water. He shook his feet dry and reapplied his footware. After that, the Striker started walking. Clarice floated to him and took his hand, applying more of her magic directly.

"Want a ride?" It wasn't a question.

"!" Lass screamed as he was dragged at a speedy rate towards the castle. He could feel the water molecules pushing him around, making him move forward. He then realized it was the water particles that was making him fly, Clarice probably never actually floated. Lass only had time for that brief though because they'd just arrived as he finished it.

Clarice released the water's hold and the two fell to the ground. They both landed gracefully. Clarice broke her grip on Lass.

"Everyone knows what's going on already. I told them before I sought you out," Clarice informed. Lass jumped up a nearby tree and climbed in the windows. Clarice took the stairs.

Lass climbed in through the window to see a weeping Arme and Elesis holding her. Lass crawled on the bed and embraced his lover.

Elesis took a breath to say something, but decided against it. She picked up the dead child and walked out of the room. Arme had already told her to bury it in the back yard, so that's what she intended to do. Arme buried her face in Lass' chest and cried wracking sobs. Lass stroked her head and mourned silently. Clarice returned shortly after and rested her hand on Arme, soothing her. She remained distant from the entire situation, knowing Lass wouldn't be comfortable feeling emotions around anyone, even Clarice. Arme had stopped crying for a moment but violently twitched and turned to face Clarice.

"LET ME FEEL MY EMOTIONS!"

Clarice bowed her head knowingly and walked away. Lass was confused and was about to ask when Arme pressed her head harder into him than before and cried. She moved her arms to hug him and squeezed tightly, as if crushing his body would remove the pain she felt in her heart. Lass said nothing but stroked her head. She did the same thing to him when she was mourning Elena and when she was afraid that Elesis had died once. Resurrection wasn't immediate and she freaked out. Lass sighed, remembering the simpler times when life was about killing all evil and making the world safe.

Now…he felt something move in Arme's stomach which was pressed up against his own. A baby kicked, reminding him of why Arme was mourning, and reminding Lass of his grief too. He increased his hold on Arme, being careful not to hurt her, and bit her nightgown shoulder hard as if it were a gag.

The two sat there, hugging, one crying the other silently screaming, for what seemed like hours. Arme stopped crying and simply rested in Lass' embrace, trying to regain her energy. Lass remembered the conversation …or rather…out burst from earlier and decided now would be a good time to inquire about it.

"Hey Arme?" Lass asked, she gave the standard 'Hmm?', "What did you mean by 'Let me feel my emotions.'?"

"Oh," She stated, "Clarice is an Empath."

"Oh," Lass responded. He said nothing more and laid his head on Arme's (now soggy) shoulder. Arme sighed comfortably and went to sleep in Lass' arms. She didn't know why she was feeling so light headed.

Clarice, Janet, and Elesis came in through the door a moment later.

"I almost forgot," Clarice said, "She lost a lot of blood so she needs to eat sugar. It helps the body recover more blood."

Lass' shocked expression wore off. He gently laid Arme on the bed and was about to jump out the window *again* before Janet tugged on his pant leg.

"Wait. Master Clarice brought chocolates."

Lass looked down at her and pulled himself back through the window. Janet ran back over to Clarice's side as the woman pulled off her knapsack. She reached her entire arm into it, which wouldn't be so strange if the bag were bigger, but her arm seemed to disappear. Lass amounted it to a mage thing and lay on the bed to gently wake up Arme.

Lass embraced her in his arms, "Arme~ Wake up. Wake up Arme. You need to eat sugar so that you can get your blood back" She wasn't waking up.

Clarice's eyes widened and she placed her hand on the girl's head. She sighed in relief.

"She's still just asleep. Thank the heavens."

Fifteen seconds of coaxing and Arme awoke. She rubbed her eyes and hugged Lass tiredly. He gestured to Clarice who, by then, had found the chocolates. The treats were shapes of various different monsters and fruits. Clarice handed the box over and Arme took them confusedly.

"You lost a lot of blood." Arme nodded in understanding and opened the box. She then took out a drillmon shaped one and ate it, smiling lightly at the taste. She offered one to Lass who refused, then offered to Janet and Clarice. Janet bounced and grabbed one crab shaped piece. Clarice picked a dragon shaped piece and sighed reminiscently.

"I miss Oribasos…" She stuck the entire piece in her mouth and let it melt rather than biting it out of respect for her dragon friend. Arme nodded again in understanding, not feeling like talking.

Janet, however, didn't know, "Who's Oribasos?"

Clarice smiled warmly at Janet, "I'll tell you later."

Janet smiled brightly back and plopped down next to Arme and hugged her. Arme was confused.

"Why did you hug me?" Janet smiled widely, exposing her teeth which had a little bit of chocolate still on them.

"I felt like it~ RrrAndommm~" Arme laughed a little, she reminded her of herself as a small child.

Clarice seemed to be thinking the same thing; she placed her hand on Janet's head and forced her to calm down. Janet was sober in a matter of seconds. Arme sighed and rested herself against Lass who was glaring at a cherry shaped chocolate. She nuzzled her head into his chest and waited till no one was looking before snatching all the cherry shaped pieces from the box. Clarice turned her attention away from Janet and went to grab another dragon when she realized there was a LOT less chocolate than before. She figured out that there were no cherry pieces and was confused. The healer shook it off and just picked up her chocolate to gently gnaw on.

~*~*~*~A week later~*~*~*~

"Bye!" Clarice called, knapsack over her shoulder and using the other hand to guide Janet. They walked towards a cab. Clarice had been called back to assist in preventing the Xenian flu outbreak from reaching epidemic proportions. Janet also had to get back to her studies. She had plans for returning in one month to check progress. But for the time being, her leave was far overdue. The Chasers waved back before heading inside. Arme brought Lass upstairs for a nap.

The two got in the bed, Arme under the covers, Lass over them. He stroked her head comfortingly until she went to sleep before he lied back, contemplating.

'_It's my fault that the baby died.'_ Lass's pessimistic side said.

A voice came forth in his mind, _"No it's not. Don't say that. She did it because there was no other choice."_

Lass was confused for a moment, but then realized who it was, _"Yes, but…" _ He couldn't think of any valid argument.

"_Exactly. Stop beating yourself up. She did it for me because only one of us could survive. She says hello by the way."_

"_Oh…well…tell her I say hello back, that I love you all, and I'm sorry that I couldn't protect her."_

"…_She says it's fine and that she lives on through me."_

"_Ah…That's good."_

There was silence in Lass' mind as he was trying to figure out how it all was possible; it didn't seem that communication with his daughter in the womb, combining two souls into one, magical parasites, should be achievable. He didn't get a response to the thoughts, so he assumed she was as baffled as him.

"_Have you thought of names for us yet?" _The child asked.

Lass shook his head, although she couldn't exactly see. She got the message in either case.

"_Well, start thinking soon, because we want to know!_

"_Okay. It's good to hear you're alright. Your mother and I were worried."_

"_I know, I could feel. Daddy, I'm tired again. I'm going to sleep now."_

"_Alright, sleep. I love you."_

"_We all love you too."_

There was silence in his brain from that point on. Lass rubbed Arme's abdomen gently as not to stir her. Something startled him though, two hands crowned the skin and touched Lass' palm. An epiphany hit Lass just then. It was a feeling so strong; the Striker felt it with every fiber of his body to be true.

He had to utter it out loud.

"Sarianna and Zane."

In that moment, Lass could relax. He might not be completely okay, but he knew that he could get over the death in time. He sat back and napped with his girlfriend, enjoying the most likely temporary peace of mind.

~*~*~*~End Chappie~*~*~*~

A/N: OH MY GOD ANOTHER SHORT CHAPTER! More happens in the next one. I didn't rush anything did I? In either case, I'm going to be fixing the prologue and first couple chapters soon to be better. TheMyr (cough, My brother) helped me with my lemon writing skills, so the prologue might have a chance at arousing someone! Yeay! =D I hope you enjoyed it ;_; I'm sorry about the lack of chapter-y goodness. At least it didn't take me 3 months to update =D


	11. Chapter 10 The Fourth Wall of Doom

Chapter 10, The Fourth Wall of Doom. I'm so glad my friends aren't reading this XD

A/N: This is the entire story, disclaimer is IN the story =D

Willow: =D Guys, I'm just gonna come out of the closet. I…

Amy: *plays a dramatic song with her violin*

Willow:…I…I…I *shakes her fists trying to get out words* I DON"T OWN GRAND CHASE! *falls to knees and starts bawling*

It's true! All of this time, claiming ownership of Grand Chase…I can't DO IT ANYMORE! I don't own it! The true owners are Ntreev and Kog! I'm so sorry! Forgive me! Forgive me!

*random record scratch*

TheMyr: Uh…Lo'?

Willow: *sniff sniff* Whut?

TheMyr: You never claimed ownership…

Willow: oh? OH! =D *glomps* you're right! Silly me~ *nuzzles left cheek against skin*

TheMyr: =D

Willow: Still…I suppose… I should summon everyone.

*pulls out megaphone, Myr covers his ears*

Willow: ! WE'RE OUT OF JUSTICE AND CHERRY PIE! HARPIES! AMY! FORESTS! RYAN'S ABOUT TO HURT HIMSELF! COOKIES! SIEGHART! DRILLMON CHOCOLATE! *waits a moment*Oh, right, PEEENISSESSS! GOOOOOOD PLOOT LINES!

*Everyone who amassed, in order of appearance. Ronan, Lass, Elesis, Oribasos, Rayne, Lire, Jin, Ryan, Hinahime, and Piotr*

Ronan: Where's the lack of justice? *holding a box of Justice Flakes*

Elesis: RAWR! …Where're the harpies? *brought her knight sword*

Lass: I think she's just summoning us.*runs away*

Rayne: Where's the boobies D=? You shouldn't sound the booby horn unless there are boobies.

Oribasos: Wait.

Lire: *comes running, for plottastic purposes, running without a bra* What happened to Ryan! Is he okay? What happened?

Oribasos: =w= *looks at Lire* _'Elf boobies. 10 points.' _

Rayne: :O '_They're so…round… and bouncy…and beautiful!'_

Oribasos and Rayne: *fistpound*

Oribasos: *quietly*Daughter, you now know the glory of the Elven booby.

Willow: Watch it you two, I'm the author, which is the equivalent to the GM.

Rayne: XP

Willow: XP

Jin: *walks in* You called?

Amy: Jinny!

Willow: Just a summon, wait a sec~

Amy: Kay!

Ryan: *busts down the doors I put up just FTL(For those of you who don't know. FTL means for the lolz)* *looks around before dropping to his knees* Oh…my gods…I'm too late…The forest is already gone…

Lire: D= It's okay *huggles*There was no forest here.

Ryan: oh.

Willow: DO NOT SECOND GUESS THE AUTHOR! XD *makes cement fall on…damit, Rylar isn't here. Fall on…a tree about one year old that just sprouted from the ground randomly*

Ryan: NOOOOOOOO!

Willow: Yush!

Hinahime: *Flys in on Kyurri* I'm sorry I'm late! I ran out of scrolls!

Willow: Iz okay. Ich habe fünf Persönlichkeiten, aber sie lieben dich alle.

Rayne: you'z messed up D=.

Willow: I know! *She splits up all her personas, Laurel is now the author.*

Clarice: Ori! *runs and jumps and hugs Oribasos* Rayne! *lets go of Ori and tackles Rayne to the ground*

Oribasos: X3

Rayne: Nyah! XD

Clarice: *giggles*

Shartruce: *walks over silently to Hinahime and stands next to.*

Hinahime: =D *huggles*

Shartruce: …*smiles lightly*

Pyrowillow: O_O SO MANY PEOPLE! *runs away*

Willow: D= *flys after*

TheMyr: D== Which of your personalities is obsessed with me?

Laurel: Me =D Come stand by me =3. You can help me rule over my dominion XD

TheMyr: =D

Sora921: *appears out of thin air* Lowie~ I'z home~

Laurel: =D Welcome home Hideki!

Sora921: Hai Chii.

TheMyr: YOU! *points at Sora*

Sora921: …? Who…O_O;; *runs away* Oh shit it's Nick!

TheMyr: Oh Jaaaames~ Come out and playyy~

Laurel: *Force grabs Nick and places him in her left throne* Mothafucka knock it off. *makes it so he can't move from his spot*

TheMyr: D=

Laurel: *Force spawns Sora921* Iz okay, sit on mah right.

Sora921: …*walks up to Laurel's throne and kisses her forehead*

Laurel: =D

TheMyr: *eyetwitch*

Sora921: *sits down in the throne to the right

TheMyr: *eyetwitch*

Laurel: Disappear!

*All chasers disappear besides Ryan*

Laurel: *Battle Mage Uniform becomes applied, complete with Warstaff* Clarice!

Clarice: D= Whut?

Laurel: Come here =D

TheMyr: *eyetwitch*

Clarice: *turns away from small group and stands before Laurel*

Laurel: *hops up and glomps on Clarice* I'm sorry you gotta die!

TheMyr: *eyetwitch*

Clarice: D= It's okay. I don't have to die again, right?

Laurel: Yeah D= again for "Fading Away"

Clarice: D= okay.

TheMyr: *Casts a silence spell on Sora921*

Oribasos: WHAT! =O you have to DIE! AGAIN!

Clarice: *turns, nods*

Rayne: When did you die before?

TheMyr: *frees himself from Laurel's entrapment spell*

Laurel: A couple plotlines which I haven't written yet.

Rayne: D= *runs up and hugs Clarice*

Laurel: o.e You're not allowed on the throne.

Rayne: Shuddup, if you really didn't want me here, you wouldn't have let me come on.

TheMyr: *sneaks behind Clarice's throne*

Laurel: True. Clarice, you're dismissed, go have fun XD

Clarice: *curtsies* Thank you. *grabs Oribasos and Shilo and flies away*

Piotr: Why are you staring at me in such a manner?

TheMyr: *stabs Sora's eyes out with a dagger, cuts open jugular vein, and stabs dagger deep into heart*

Ryan: I'm…trying to figure out how to hug you…

Piotr: Ah…

TheMyr: *sneaks away*

Ryan: *goes in for a hug, Gently moving himself away from the thorns* =DDDD

Piotr: =3

Ryan XDDDDDDDDDDD! YEAY! I finally figured out how to hug you! *dances funny*

Piotr: lol

TheMyr: *Laughs manically*

Ryan: lol.

Hinahime and Shartruce: *watching everything silently*

Laurel: Disappear!

*Ryan and Piotr vanish*

Laurel: Hinahime, Shartruce, go to the observation area with everyone else.

Both: *bow and run off*

Laurel: *opens a vortex in the ground and TheMyr appears*

TheMyr: !

Laurel: Surprised? I knew what you were doing all along!

TheMyr: D= Wait…you ALLOWED your boyfriend to be killed?

Laurel: No it wasn't him. *Sora921 appears, the bedraggled one* *all appearances of him being Sora921* Unveil! *The skin and armor melts off to reveal…TheMyr in lifeless doll form*

Laurel: It was a voodoo doll. You know, a real one. Remember when all of my dolls were being made and you said "They look like voodoo dolls"? Well they weren't. THIS, is a voodoo doll.

TheMyr: No…no…NO…NO! NONONO!

Laurel: Yes, yes, YES! *scrapes left cheek* Look Nicky! It's your DNA~ =D

TheMyr: *eyes go wider*Oh god!

Laurel: "Lowie" will suffice~ *chants under her breath*

TheMyr: ! *screams as his eyes become bloody and gory and cuts appear on his skin.*

Laurel: You see? You ruined it for yourself. *sadistic face*

TheMyr: Whyy! WHYYYY!

Laurel: Well, dear Nicky, I suppose you have Ori to blame for constantly chanting about how I'm going to kill you some day. *chuckles darkly* Now it looks like I'M the best fanfiction author in this family.

TheMyr: AGHHH! I…the world…so…dark…fading…ughh*falls unconscious*

Clarice: Curaga!

Laurel: o.o? *turns to look at Clarice. Hinahime is driving her cumulus cloud, Shartruce is riding, sitting cross-legged and sitting straight like a rod in the ground.* Disappear! *Clarice is banished*

Hinahime and Shartruce: *jump off the cumulus cloud.*

Laurel: What the hell Hina? I'm in the middle of destroying my brother.

Hinahime: Only because I allow it. Now I am disallowing it.

Laurel: What do you mean?

Hinahime: *looks at Shartruce*

Shartruce: *pulls out her controls, lets them loose on Laurel*

Laurel: O.O

Hinahime: I am in control here. Bedtime Story!

Laurel: *words come from her scroll and wind themselves around Laurel, circling her.* I…*falls asleep*

TheMyr: *wakes up*

Hinahime: =)

TheMyr: Did you just save me?

Hinahime: *nodnod, helps up*

TheMyr: Thank you…what's your name again? Tootsie? (Remember when you said that Ori?)

Hinahime: *eyetwitch* it's Utsuro.

TheMyr: Ahh…sorry. My sister calls you "Utsie"

Hinahime: I know, it's rather cute. *walks up to TheMyr, still smiling, hair clip has changed position.*

TheMyr: =D so, what do you wanna do now?

Hinahime: See you die =) Spike wall.

TheMyr: O.O Wha- *is cut off. Walls of spikes appeared on either side of him and crashed together quite harshly, causing much blood to splatter out.*

Hinahime: *summons Clarice* Care to use your water to clean this up please?

Clarice: Sure!~ *cleans up all the blood and converts it to water. Hasn't noticed the hair clip*

Hinahime: Thank you~ See you around Clarice.

Clarice: See..you…*just noticed the hair clip* O_O

Hinahime: You may go now.

Clarice: O_O *rapidly gets away as far as possible, tries to find the Willows*

Hinahime: *kicks Laurel lightly in the stomach* Wake up, sleepy head~

Laurel: Mmmm…but…tired…*wakes up, sits up and then rubs eyes* Oh, hai Hina. Why'd you knock me…what happened? *just noticed hair clip as well*

Hinahime: =D I killed your brother. You were going to do so anyways, right?

Laurel: O.O;;; Where'd the body go?

Hinahime: That's none of your concern. *gets closer*

Laurel: Hina, please, please switch out of horror mode. *backs away with hands raised*

Hinahime: Why Willow-chan? Don't you love me too?

Laurel: Of course I love you D= *stops moving* I love you alawt! I'm just a little concerned about the whole "Horror mode" thing. You know how you get!

Hinahime: *sigh* but…*hairclip moves back to other side of face* It's so much fun to see you scared *giggles*

Laurel: *sighs in relief* You're fuckin' scary. *hugs Hinahime tightly with tears welled up in eyes*

Hinahime: *giggles again* I knowwz~ and you know what? *hairclip changes position again*

Laurel: Hmm?

Hinahime: You were right to be afraid. Now I'll be the best fanfiction author for Grand Chase.

Laurel: ODO *gets back from Hinahime* BETRAYAL! *points Warstaff at* You were already the best! You know that!

Hinahime: No Laurel. You were the best Cliffha-

Laurel: FIREBUST! *a fire pillar separates Hinahime from Laurel by pushing Hinahime back*

Hinahime: EEeep!

Laurel: RICE BALL! I mean ICE BALL! *twirls and a giant snowflake appears; spinning towards Hinahime*

Hinahime: *dodges* _'I cannot defeat her in my current form'_ *changes into Battle Mage Uniform*

Laurel: *shocked*

Hinahime: *giggles* This should be fun! Fireball! Fire ball! FireBall! Fireball!

Laurel: *teleports through them all, finally teleports behind Hinahime* You can't touch what isn't tangible! *spams combo2 which is fireslash, firebreath, fireslash, firebreath*

Hinahime: Good advice! *teleports backwards, teleports around until mana is fully charged* Haaaaa! Deep IMPACT!

Laurel: *teleports through them all* Fireball! Fireball! Fireball! *all miss*

Hinahime: *teleports behind Laurel* Ice ball!

Laurel: *is hit* Aghhh! *struggles a bit back and forth, trying to break the freezing spell.*

Hinahime: Deep Impact!

Laurel: *Breaks free* *teleports through all the deep impacts* Hina! Knock it off! *out of breath* *Storm rolls in*

Hinahime: Why? So you can kill me too?

Laurel: *crying now* Why would you think I'd kill you? I love you Brianna! *thunder crashes*

Hinahime: Yeah! You loved your brother too! You killed him pretty quickly!

Laurel: He's my BROTHER. I was going to BRING HIM BACK but then you and I started a fight.

Hinahime: I can't trust you! I know how this story ends!

Laurel: BRIANNA! *falls to the ground, crying* *rain starts pouring*

Hinahime: I'm afraid it's too little too late for tears. *walks over to and lances through skull with the end of the warstaff.*

"*Gasp* Arme awoke in a cold sweat, "Oh gods. Oh gods. That was insane. Eep!" Thunder crashed outside. She thought she saw something but didn't see it again. Suddenly a hand came up on her right shoulder, "Ahh!"

"Arme?" It was Lass, "What's going on?"

Arme breathed heavily through her mouth, frantically looking around the dark room. From what she could tell, everything was fine.

"Arme?"

"I..I…"

"Arme you really shouldn't eat chocolate just before bed. This is what happens."

Arme sighed, "I know." She laid back down, "I thought I saw something move."

Lass pulled her close and her head into his bare chest, "You know me, if there was something here, I would know it."

Arme sighed but argued no further. She waited for her mind to be at ease and fell back asleep, wrapped in Lass' arms.

In the closet of their bedroom, A maroon clad woman giggles silently before disappearing.

~*~*~*~ Chapterend~*~*~*~

A/N: Fuckin' Hinahime, taking over my story and shit. Soooooo? How did you like it? Well I hope so. I was scaring myself as I was writing this. This is just a mini chapter, nothing relevant to the plot here. I wanted to write like…a huuuuge random skit thingie. I decided to do it this way. Did you like the plot twists? I know I did~ *sigh* now I'm going to have nightmares of my characters taking over me and stuff X.X anyways~ have a nice day! Enjoy!


	12. Shopping, New Friends, and Lemon Drops

Willow: Hi Piotr!

Piotr: Peace be with you. Hello Svetlana.

Willow: How's my favorite tree doing?

Piotr: Decent, you?

Willow: I'm good.

Ryan: Did somebody say… *GASP* It's a treeeeeeeeee~ *Attempts to glomp the tree*

Willow: Ryan be careful, he's- No DON'T *sigh*

Ryan: !

Willow: Piotr is a Locust Ent. He has thorns that are four inches long covering him.

Ryan: I just wanted a hug! ;_;

Willow: I don't know how you didn't see them, they're like…right there! XD

Piotr: I hope he didn't puncture anything vital D=

Clarice: I smelled blood. OH MY GOD! Ryan! *pulls him off of Piotr and heals his wounds completely*

Ryan: *hugs Clarice who hugs him back**runs away*

Piotr: D=

Clarice: It's cool. You're a tree and Ryan gets himself injured all the time for stupid reasons XD. Anyways…wanna say the disclaimer?

Piotr: sure

Disclaimer: Willowwhip doesn't own the Grand Chase. She apologizes greatly for the large time lapse and for making the last chapters so short…and for that last chapter…it was made for her friends, not for you the reader.

Persona Chorus: Read, Review, and Enjoooooooooooyyy~

A/N: Sorry guys, Piotr, Oribasos, Hiromi, and Rylar will no longer appear in my disclaimers… *looks down sadly*

~*~Interlude~*~

And so, days turned into weeks which turned into two months. Lire continued to make her wedding preparations with Ryan. Elesis, Ronan, Jin, and Amy tried to help out as much as they could with both Lire's wedding problems and Arme's baby situation. Seighart and Mari were still trying to clean out the old lab and make it into a craft room for Mari.

As for Lass and Arme, Clarice said that stress and negative emotions are bad for any pregnancy and can sometimes cause premature deliveries. It was important for the children that Arme carry them as long as possible because they would have a safer developmental period. Lass told Arme of the conversation he had and Arme also felt better. She decided to do a little more reading on pregnancies that contained magical children because she thought that the concept of Lass hearing their child speak to them was quite odd. That preoccupied her time. They agreed upon the names "Sarianna and Zane". Arme was starting to have random contractions, which she was told was completely normal. Her belly had grown quite large. It was difficult for her to move around without assistance. As a result, Arme was often accompanied by Lass, Elesis, Ronan, Jin, and sometimes even Seighart when he wasn't busy with Mari. The concert with Jin, Ronan, and Amy had sparked the fandom of the singer. The population demanded her return to the singing field and she accepted. She was also kept busy.

~*~Arme's Room~*~

Arme woke from her midday nap, stretching. She felt around for Lass but he wasn't there. She was mildly alarmed until she remembered something.

"_Lass, I want you to go get some of the baby furniture today, okay?"_

_Lass was exiting the bathroom after a shower and drying his ears with a hand towel._

"_Sure Arme, what pieces do you want me to get?" _

"_Oh, I don't know. It's your choice."_

"_What colors should I get?"_

"_Well the baby room is going to be white and light blue… so get white or light blue."_

"_Okay. I'll leave after you start your nap."_

Lass just wasn't back yet. It was strange to Arme. Her boyfriend was always nearby. In the rare times he wasn't, Lass was always short about it. Arme looked to the wall clock. It was six pm; she'd slept for three hours. Arme sighed and hoisted herself up to get to the kitchen. She stood for a moment to gain her balance. No one was there to catch her at that point in time. The mage had to lean back as a counter-weight lest she become top-heavy and fall forward. Arme stretched a little and made her way to the kitchen for something to eat. Sarianna and Zane started kicking around as if to second that notion. She was walking/waddling down the hall at a decent pace when a black haired person with hands behind his head decided to stroll with her.

"Hi Arme."

"Hi Seighart. Whatcha doing?"

"Just walking around, you?"

"Gonna get something to eat."

He slowed his pace to fit with Arme's. She felt somewhat better knowing that someone was traveling with her. Seighart's eye was twitching, he was deep in thought. Arme couldn't imagine what about. Suddenly, out of nowhere Seighart grabbed Arme's wrist tightly as to stop her. As could only be expected of Arme, she fell. Seighart was anticipating this and quickly caught her up. Her eyes were wide with shock and mild fear.

"Arme?"

"Yes?"

"Can I touch your belly?" Arme was even more shocked. She blushed slightly and tilted her head in confusion.

"That is…an odd question…especially coming from you."

He looked down for a moment, embarrassed, "I…wasn't able to be there for Mari during her pregnancy. I'm really curious."

Arme nodded, "Okay, go ahead. I was just caught off guard." Seighart nodded and put his hand on her belly. She grabbed his hand and moved it to where Zane was actively beating. Seighart jumped slightly when he felt the child beat his hand. A minute later and Seighart had a grin on his face that he was trying to hide, contented from the feeling of the baby. He let go of Arme and started walking again. Arme noticed he'd moved without her.

Smiling, she called out, "Hey! Wait for me!" Seighart chuckled.

"Well come on then! We can't wait forever! Gotta feed your children!" Arme giggled but didn't increase her pace anymore. Seighart tapped his foot in faux impatience. He offered her his arm and she took it smiling. Shortly after, he started dancing while walking, to try to amuse her. It worked magnificently. He stopped dancing once they reached the stairs and he helped her down. After they got down the stairs he adopted a normal walking pattern. He went to the bookshelf and got a copy of Hourglass. He had heard everyone in the castle raving about it, so he set his mind about reading it.

Arme trotted into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She wanted to eat something quick before she actually started cooking. As luck would have it, there was a fully cooked Harpy roast, waiting to be devoured. She pulled out a few pieces of dark meat and ate them. Lire must have made it due to the unfamiliar but enticing spices used. It was quite juicy; it must have been freshly cooked. She suddenly felt bad for eating it. The elf was probably saving it for later preparation; possibly to use in some sort of bread as she often did. Feeling the curb of hunger lighten, she set about preparing pizza.

~*~*~*~Lassie time~*~*~*~

Lass walked down the aisles of the baby store. He felt out of place with his Nodachi, surrounded by women in various stages of their pregnancy. Most didn't have weapons on them, visible anyways. There were virtually no men in the store. He grabbed a cart, conveniently located in the front of the store, and began quickly grabbing what was needed. It made Lass feel quite uncomfortable and mildly agitated that there weren't any men there. It reminded him too much of his history.

"_Daddy, where are you going?" young Lass called out to his father. The man wore a grey backpack, red flannel shirt, blue suspenders, and brown boots. He had brown hair with sad sapphire eyes. Lass could tell by his weighty demeanor that something bad was going to happen. The man tried to smile._

"_H-hey! Wh-what are you doing up?"_

"_Daddy?" Lass was growing upset. Tears welled in his eyes like pools of heartbreak on the mountain of despair while the sky rained darkness upon the world, "Where are you going Daddy?"_

"_Lassario, I,I…" He fumbled for an excuse, but he couldn't find one that would fit. All too suddenly, Lass understood what was going on. Curse his intelligence._

"_Daddy, why are you leaving us?" The devastated boy cried out, "Why? Mommy's sick! Mommy needs you! I need you! Please don't leave me Daddy!" Gratuitous amounts of saline/water solution poured from his eyes. Lass' father was abandoning him. _

_Rather than explaining himself, the traitor turned from his son and walked away._

_Lass broke that day, his mother died a week later, and the day after that, he fell under Kaze'aze's possession._

_He never shed a tear._

"Oops! I'm sorry!" a heavily pregnant woman said bumping into the thief and breaking him out of his flashback. She was carrying quite a large object and seemed to be struggling with it.

Lass suddenly felt the urge to help her. Perhaps it stemmed from spending too much time with Ronan.

"Mmmhere," Lass said, lifting the large box off out of her arms and into his empty cart, "Let me help you with that." He took a look at her. She was slight of frame and short of stature; perhaps a little bit taller than Arme was when he first met her, but slightly shorter than her now. He would guess she was approximately twenty-five years old from her facial imperfections and skin tightness. The woman's skin tone was pale, almost blue, and her hair was a dark blue color. The woman's eyes were dark, clear, green. She wore a long brown shirt and a white skirt. They didn't look like pregnancy clothes, but Lass wasn't sure why this stuck out to him.

The woman sighed in relief, "Thank you. I don't know how much longer I would have been able to hold on to that, heh heh." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. Lass shrugged off the gratitude.

"It was nothing." He wanted to ask questions, but held back, "What else do you need?"

"Hahaha! I NEED everything. I can only afford that crib! That's all I'm getting." She laughed and smiled. Her reaction was

'. Come on Lass, you're a member of the Grand Chase. You could buy this entire store!'

'Gahhhh shut up inner Ronan. Come on Lass, you can escape from this…Smoke bombs! Wait…no. The one time I didn't bring escape mechanisms is the one time I need to escape; of course.'

'But Lassie!' Arme's voice appeared in his mind, 'She needs your help! Look at her!'

Lass mentally groaned but obeyed after a moment.

"Well, what do you like, desperately need?" Lass said, looking away.

"That crib." The woman replied.

Lass groaned, "What all do you have so far?"

She looked down ashamed, "I…don't…this is the first thing I've bought…and I haven't had time between work and survival to make anything…"

'Winter is coming…' Lass thought to himself. He looked at her.

"But it's alright! I have enough money to buy this, we'll be fine." She rubbed her belly as if to sooth it.

Lass turned the cart and headed for the baby clothes aisle.

She followed, "Hey! What are you doing?"

Lass didn't know why, but she reminded him of Arme, "You know, I don't just hang out here. I came to get stuff too." He looked at the copious amount of baby clothes and stood awestruck.

"Oh! Do you know what you're having?" The young woman next to him asked rather excitedly. Lass turned to her. She was blushing, as if Lass having a baby was a shock to her.

Lass, in turn, blushed, "We're having twins; a boy and girl."

The girl smiled warmly, "I'm having a girl too. Maybe we could have a play date in the future?" Lass chuckled. She sounded like Arme…or Amy. They had similar personalities some times.

"Sure." Lass replied. He picked out some gentle colored outfits before realizing he was in the wrong…age group. He almost asked what the difference was before realizing that it was size that mattered. The thief picked up seven outfits of unisex clothes in every age group. He also picked up fourteen outfits for girls in every age group before moving on. The amount of clothes he picked up filled the bottom of the cart. She obviously didn't notice. She started talking to him about her pregnancy. He was only half listening. The woman seemed to be fine with that.

Lass went on to pick up other necessities, making sure to get extras. He even picked up a couple baby blankets. When finished, he headed to the check-out area. The woman followed him. When he approached the counter, the male employee working there looked at him oddly.

"Sooo…you impregnated two women, Lass?"

"No." Lass was NOT about to have rumors going around.

"Sooo…who is she?"

"No comment," he answered.

The guy smiled, "Ooh, I smell scandal."

"No you don't," Lass informed, "And if you do, and this becomes a big issue, I will fucking stab you. Keep your scandalous thoughts to yourself. Ring my shit up." The man's eyes were quite large and mildly frightened. Lass sighed.

"Okay, I won't stab you, but please don't go around spreading rumors about me. I'm just trying to buy baby stuff. That's all." The guy looked more at ease.

"It's cool. I understand."

"Thank you," Lass rolled his eyes before pausing to think about his 'companion', "Hey, I just realized that I don't know your name."

She giggled, "It's Diana!"

"Cool," Lass replied.

The man's eye twitched and he finished writing up the price of the merchandise.

"That will be seventy thousand GP please."

Diana spoke up, "What is the price of the crib please?"

As the cashier was going to respond, Lass interrupted him, "It doesn't matter."

"Uh, it does matter! I'm paying for that crib."

"Uh, no you are not," Lass replied.

Diana's brow vein twitched, "But…no. I'm buying this."

Lass sighed, "Fine," he took a look at the crib box and subtracted twenty thousand GP from the amount he paid. Diana smiled and happily placed her money on the counter. The man took the money and started putting it all in the cash register. He muttered something under his breath like, "Goddamn large purchases…" Lass ignored it. He waited for the man to finish before grabbing the two bags he stuffed everything into. His training was coming in handy more and more frequently…

"Where do you live?" Lass asked. He needed to know where to drop off everything.

She blushed, "Ah…I can carry this home. Thanks!" She said as she attempted to take the crib from him.

"No," was his response, and he moved the bags away from her.

"But, but-" Diana complained.

"But nothing. I have a horse with a shopping trailer on it. You obviously don't need to be walking that much."

She, unlike Arme would have, grabbed the bags from him and started walking towards wherever her home was.

Lass quickly went to his horse and placed the extra bags in the trailer. Moonlight was sleeping, but was quickly roused by being dragged towards someplace she didn't know. She tried to struggle, but Lass' grip was strong. She stopped struggling and focused on keeping up with Lass. He moved swiftly.

"Why hello again," Lass said, taking the crib from Diane and putting it in the trailer. She sighed with immense relief upon realizing it was just Lass who took the crib.

"What the hell?" She asked Lass, wide-eyed, "That's my crib!"

Lass took hold of Moonlight's reigns once more, "And I am escorting you to your home, so it's okay." Lass decided a while ago that he would set his mind on being friends with this woman.

Diane groaned, "You don't have to."

"I want to."

"Don't you have a girlfriend to get back to?" Diane's voice almost broke then. Lass caught it. He shrugged off the question.

"She's sleeping, I have a couple hours to kill, and you looked like you could use some help…and you were nice to me," She didn't really have a response to that, "I just want to make sure you get home safely okay? A nice girl like you doesn't need any more trouble." Diana looked like she was going to protest, but decided against it. She held her abdomen and breathed deeply.

"Fine, we'll go back to my house. This way." The pregnant woman walked as hastily as possible to her home. Lass followed behind. Her body language seemed like she was desiring a small bit of alone time in her thoughts. They walked a good pace when suddenly a cheerful voice interrupted Lass' path.

"Laaaaasssiiieeeeee~" A familiar noise to him, He turned to see Amy launching herself at him. He resisted the urge to stab her. He remembered the last time that happened; things didn't go down well. She hugged him quickly and Lass patted her head. She tilted it and smiled cheerfully.

"What brings you here? And who is this?" She asked, eyes glittering curiously.

Lass turned to Diana, who stopped and joined him. She looked at the ground, trying to avoid looking at anyone, "This is Diana, she's my new friend. I met her at the baby store and I'm just helping her home." Lass blushed mildly and looked towards the trailer.

Amy giggled, "I see Ronoob is rubbing off on even the most wayward of our Chasers!" She then turned and waved at Diana, "Hi! I'm Amy, nice to meet someone to befriend our little Lassie"

Lass held his head in an ashamed way, "Amy, could you stop calling me that in public please?"

She giggled, but didn't respond to that particular request, "Anyways, I gotta go get ready for my concert tonight!~"

Diana looked up and stared at Amy with a tearful expression, "You're having a concert tonight?"

"Y-yeah…why?" Amy asked.

Diana didn't respond; she just walked away. Amy shrugged and continued with her statement, "See you at home later Lass~" She ran off without waiting for a reply. Lass shook his head and walked hastily towards Diana, making sure to bring the horse.

"Hey, what was all that about?" Lass asked. Diana didn't look at him.

"I don't want to talk about it." Her tone was quite angry, with a hint of sadness. She picked up her pace, seeming desperate to get home. Lass kept up with her. Diana's grip on her abdomen tightened ever so slightly; too slight for Lass to perceive. He decided to stay silent the rest of the trip, deciding instead to allow her to feel whatever emotions she was feeling. It seemed like the safer path.

Soon enough they arrived at a fairly nice apartment complex that Diana walked into. Lass grabbed all the bags that he had bought plus the crib and carried them; keeping up with Diana's fast pace without bothering to lock up Moonlight. She didn't wait at all. She went up the cement stairs and unlocked "2c". Diana moved into the living room and sat herself on a worn-out couch. Lass took that moment to observe the area. There was a small circular table in an area connected to the kitchen that Lass could only assume was a dining room. There was a single, miniature chair. It looked like a wooden preschool chair. It fit all the way under the table. The couch Diana sat on was dark blue plaid and looked like it'd been rescued from the curb. She held her face in her hands. Lass' eyes moved on and he stepped in. He looked at the grey carpeting and noted that it was quite clean and reminded him of his hair color. Straight ahead there was an empty room, and two rooms lying on either side. He proceeded into the area and took a look, trying to find the woman's room so he could put the stuff down. He entered the room to the left and found a bed. Process of elimination meant that the room on the right was the bathroom.

The bedroom was fairly plain. It had a large water bed and a beat up dresser that looked like it was made of OSB wood. He set the items down on her bed and looked in the closet, which was open. There was a waitress' outfit hanging up…along…with another outfit that made him blush.

'She's a stripper…?' Lass asked himself mentally, not expecting an answer; not receiving one. He left her room then and headed out to see Diana. She was in the same position as before, but this time, Lass noticed something new. Her back would jerk every now and again. The motion was familiar, unfrightening, but filled him with an unpleasant feeling. Lass went to investigate.

"Diana?" Lass inquired, "Are you alright?" He didn't receive a reply, "Diana…" Lass touched her back and the reaction was violent. She jerked upright and exposed her face. It was puffy and red from crying. She punched Lass hard in the chest, making him cough.

"GO AWAY!" she screamed. She tried to hit him again, but Lass was prepared this time. He dodged.

Lass was shocked, "Diana what the hell?" he asked. She threw another punch, sloppy. The next was even sloppier. The last one, Lass grabbed her arm and pulled her into a restrictive hug. Diana struggled.

"Let me go! Let me go!~ Let…me go…please…" Her voice grew more tearful. Her energy was failing her and she gave into tears again. Diana lost the strength in her legs and Lass supported her, setting her down gently. He allowed her to escape and she sat back, crying into her hands. Lass tried to pull her back into a hug, but failed. She pushed him away.

"Don't trick me again! Stay away! I won't fall for your lies!"

"What are you talking about?"

"YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT ME!" Diana screamed, "YOU DON'T CARE! NO ONE HAS EVER CARED! WHY WOULD YOU CARE! JUST LEAVE NOW BEFORE I START TO TRUST YOU, YOU EVIL PERSON!" She started sobbing, her cries were reaching her voice, resulting in a full break down of her emotional restraint. Lass sat with her until she stopped. It took about fifteen minutes for her to finally calm down enough to form a sentence.

"W-why are y-you still here?" She asked, "Why-y did-dn't you l-leave?"

Lass shook his head, "You need me right now," he looked around the bare white walls, "or someone. I just happened to be here."

"Why didn't you…leave…though?" She looked back down and held her heart, "I hit you…hard."

Lass laughed lightly and rubbed his chest where she hit him, "I get hit harder by Arme in her sleep. I don't think any decent person would have left you like that." Diana looked up again.

"Decent person?" She sat pondering that thought for a moment. She looked back to Lass, an unnatural calmness taking place, "I think it's time for you to leave, Lass. Thank you for all you've done." He tilted his head.

"Bu-" Lass was interrupted by a hand gesture by Diana. He understood. He'd done all he could, and it was time for him to leave. He stood up and then helped up Diana.

"It was nice to meet you. I hope to see you again soon Diana." Lass smiled as best as he could. Diana smiled as much as she could back. It turned out looking more like a grimace, but Lass understood the gesture.

"Yeah, we'll see each other soon."

Diana hugged him lightly goodbye and then broke it. She practically pushed Lass out the door. Lass rubbed the back of his head after she slammed the door. His head got hit. In the apartment, Diana went to the couch and curled up before preparing to fall apart once again. Lass sighed before heading back to his horse. He went back to the baby store. Lass didn't notice that the sky was gaining colors.

He arrived as the sun was setting. He noticed that a short while before arriving. Lass leapt from his horse onto the ground and speed walked into the store.

Lass hastily grabbed a furniture cart and bee-lined for the furniture section. He kept his mind focused on getting in and out in the fastest amount of time. He picked up two white cribs first, followed by girl and boy mobiles. He didn't want to strain Moonlight, so Lass decided on coming back tomorrow. He just got those small essentials. Lass passed a window as he headed for the check-out area. The sky was a beautiful purple color. Sighing in annoyance, Lass increased the pace slightly, almost running. The counter had a different person, a woman. She wore dark clothes and stood looking quite bored. Lass started putting the furniture on the counter. She sighed and rung up the merchandise, too slowly for Lass' tastes. He waited, impatiently huffing a couple times.

"That'll be seventy thousand GP please."

Lass paid it and didn't wait for a receipt. He needed to get home. He put the cribs hastily on the cart and speed-walked to the horse. The sun had set.

~*~*Armetime*~*~

She sat at the dinner table alone for the first time in the longest time. Arme ate pieces of the harpy roast that she had been served. She looked at the dining room window, waiting for her lover to come in. He did not. The mage continued to eat. Elesis was watching her, but Arme paid no mind to it. Elesis sighed and continued to enjoy the roasted harpy with harpy infused garlic bread. Lire was a great cook.

"I'm…going to bed," Arme announced. Elesis stood up to escort Arme. Arme struggled to lift herself up from her seat. Elesis ended up lifting the mage the final half of the way up. She sighed tiredly before trying to walk to her bedroom. Elesis held her arm as she climbed the stairs.

"Mari needs to install some sort of device to bypass these stairs…" Elesis observed. Arme nodded in agreement.

Arme took this opportunity to make small talk, "Yeah. She's been really busy lately, actually."

"Even when she's not doing experiments, she's always busy."

They sighed. Arme groaned, "Ugh…so tired… Lass usually carries me everywhere." Elesis chuckled.

"I have wayyy to much pride for all of that," Elesis laughed, "I'm sure Ronan would love to carry me."

There was a short silence, "Maybe not," Elesis said, "He's getting laaazy. I need to put him to work."

Arme made a whip noise and the two shared another laugh. Arme sighed tiredly as she reached the top of the staircase. She stretched carefully before continuing down the hallway to her bedroom. Elesis followed closely behind. Arme opened her door and laid down on her bed. She sighed in relief, feeling immense comfort washing over her. She'd barely moved all day, yet her back and feet hurt. Arme mentally groaned about how taxing pregnancy was.

"G'night." Elesis yelled out as she walked out of Arme's room. Apparently, she wasn't going to stay and watch like Lass usually did.

And with that, Arme's thoughts strayed to Lass. Why wasn't he home yet? Did something happen? Arme felt sick with worry. For whatever reason, she blamed herself.

'Maybe…he's…off with another girl…' She couldn't help but think. Her inner voice argued with her.

'No, you're stupid; he's not off with anyone else. He loves you.'

'What if he got sick of me? What if he doesn't love me anymore?'

'You're being ridiculous'

'I'm fat and ugly. I'm fat, ugly, and needy. Of course he would leave me.'

'Oh gods, listen to you! You're being so ridiculous.'

'I'm fat, ugly, needy, stupid, and ridiculous. Why hasn't he left me earlier?'

'Because he's stupid too? I'd leave you if you sounded like this. Self-pitying wimp. Shut up. You're not fat, you're pregnant. You're not ugly. You're needy because you're pregnant, and ridiculous because you're ridiculous. I can't really combat that. That's also the pregnancy's fault. Come on, a guy can't be a bit late once in his life?'

'Yes, but this is LASSIE.'

'He's a MALE. He's a HUMAN. Give him a fucking break! This is the only time in his entire life he's let you down. Cut him some slack!'

Arme silenced her inner-self, deciding to investigate for herself. She slowly and carefully stood up and went to go look at herself in the full-length mirror.

'You say I'm not fat, I should be able to see this in a mirror, right?' No internal response, the mage moved herself over to the mirror and proceeded to observe herself.

Arme's hair was slightly askew from lying down. Her belly was quite rotund and had stretch marks covering her swollen abdomen. Her face was more filled out than normal. Arme rubbed under her chin, that skin was still taut enough. She raised her arms and saw them to be flabbier than she remembered. Arme grabbed her inner thigh and was dismayed to see that she could easily pinch her skin. She was brought back to the attention of the stretch marks. Huge purple gashes stood out against her pale skin. Her breasts also had those accursed marks along with her sides and back. Varicose was developing on her legs from the strain of running around too much.

Arme lost control then. She moved back to the bed, curled up on her side naked, and cried. She really was ugly and fat and stupid and ridiculous and worthless and-

"Arme?" She gasped in shock. She stopped crying and rolled onto her back. Arme struggled to sit up, but didn't quite make it all the way without help. Lass's arm wrapped around her back and he pulled her into his arms. The mage started crying again.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Lass asked, worry crept into his voice although he tried to hide it. He wasn't sure why.

Arme sobbed, "I, thought, you, had, left me!" She buried her face into Lass' chest. He had been wise and positioned himself so that it was easy to do. Lass sighed in disappointment.

"I'm sorry I was a couple hours late. I should have managed my time better," Lass said, a bit of shame lingering in his voice, "I am quite sorry I kept you waiting. I didn't know you'd think that I'd LEFT you. Seriously, Arme? That's-"

"Ridiculous. I know." Arme was sick of that word. She sniffed, drying her tears. Lass gently held her in his secure arms.

"I will never, ever, leave you. I swear that as long as there is breath in my body, I will love you and protect you and keep you safe from harm.

Arme sighed, non-believing, "But why? I'm ugly, fat, stupid, an-"

"What?" Lass asked, "Who told you that?" He pulled away from his lover slightly to peer into her eyes. Arme looked away.

"I did."

Lass shook his head sadly and pulled her back into his embrace, "Arme, even if any of that were true, it wouldn't matter because I love you." Arme's heart fluttered in excitement.

'See?' her inner voice said smugly.

'Shut up you,' Arme replied. A thought occurred, putting Lass' words' truth to the test.

"Lass? If that's true…why haven't you touched me since I got pregnant?"

Lass was taken aback once more, "Did you want to be touched?"

Arme nodded and Lass kissed Arme's forehead before getting up to close the bedroom window he entered through. Arme laid down in preparation for him. Lass stripped down quickly and stretched his shoulders.

(A/N: CAUTION THIS IS ABOUT TO BE A LEMON! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!)

Lass sighed, getting ready to make love to his girlfriend. Arme laid there waiting for him to start. Lass got into the bed and mounted the mage. He kissed her passionately on the lips, turning it into a French kiss. Their tongues intertwined and twisted madly. Arme moaned in pleasure. Lass broke the kiss and started kissing his lover down her neck. He made his kisses over to her left nipple and started sucking it, making it hard, while massaging her right breast.

Arme moaned in pleasure. Lass knew exactly how gentle he needed to be with her in any situation. Arme just hoped her pregnant breasts wouldn't lactate. His sucking motion succeeded in arousing Arme further. Her pussy began to moisten. She was almost sure that if she were to stand up, her vag would drip natural lubrication.

"Ungg, oh Lass. Mmmm," She moaned in pleasure. Lass chuckled lowly. After a minute or two, he stopped sucking and started kissing down her abdomen, past her naval, to her pelvic area. As he passed the abdomen, Zane kicked Lass in the face, almost making Lass stop. He continued nonetheless. Arme spread her legs for Lass' entry. He put his face down to the area and licked her clit, stimulating it more. The mage moaned once again. She could feel her body release more fluid. Lass decided against eating her out due to the fact that she was wet enough. The rogue moved to a more comfortable position before slowly entering her. Her pussy felt perfect for his dick. It was tight enough to provide pleasure, but loose enough to not have him worry. He started off slow and powerful.

"Ahh, Lass~" Arme enthused, She gripped the sheets on either side of her and moaned in pleasure, "Mmmmm, Harder~" She groaned in encouragement, "Faster." She demanded it. Lass was happy to deliver. He sped up slightly. Their pelvises mashed together roughly as Lass sexed Arme deeply. Arme groaned louder. Her heart raced and she heated up. Something stirred inside of her. Her breathing increased in pace. Suddenly, she couldn't be content simply gripping the sheets, she pulled Lass' head down to match hers and started kissing him. Because of his height and Arme's lack-there-of, Lass was able to continue while leaning over. His core touched Arme's belly as he made love to the woman. Zane kicked him again.

Lass ignored it, growling in pleasure. Arme continued to moan and sigh. Lass increased his pace, wanting to get things moving along. Arme's groans got louder, as did Lass'. Arme was rather loud, almost at screaming level.

Suddenly she orgasmed, moaning at the screaming level. Lass tried to hurry his own up. Just as he was about to…

"Arme! Are you okay?"

Elesis barged into the room.

A/N: LMAO! ELESIS ERUDON, MOMENT KILLER~! Haii guys, sorry about the wait and stuff. I got busy again. I just can't seem to stay focused.

So yes, here you have moar lemony goodness for your…yeah. Hopefully this satisfies you? I suck at Lemon. I never know what to write! I'm sort of…a virgin…so I'm going off of NO experience ^^; Still, I hope it wasn't boring.

RRE!

Willowchan 3


	13. Carnivals and Plot Development

Willow: Hello denizens of fanfictiondotnet~ How are you today? I hope well.

I was chilling out, trying to sew, when I saw an email pop up. I decided to check them and I found a question!

"Wow, nice story.

There's something I want to ask you, Willow-chan.

When did Mari get pregnant? And if she was pregnant, where is their child?

Lastly, when will you update it again?"

GrandHero-

I am SO glad you asked! I totally thought that out before I put it in the fic.

Sieghart and Mari are both immortal in this universe. They were in a group together (similar to the Grand Chase) except on Archemidia, and fell in love during their journeys together. Things happened and Mari got pregnant, though she didn't know it. They were given one last mission with an unknown bad guy (didn't think that part through). They were losing very badly. The two became gravely wounded. The gods showed up and ended the madness. For their deeds and sacrifice, the gods granted them immortality, but because of the intensity of the battle, Mari fell into a deep coma. It was during this time that Sieghart found out she was pregnant. She ended up delivering while in her coma. The child was born who became Elesis' Great grandmother. She died of old age. Mari awoke in her and Sieghart's old home. Sieghart had moved on temporarily due to the threat against the world. He had to aid the Grand Chase in their fight. All Mari had was her knowledge of machina to guide her. She met up with the Chase. Sieghart remembered her but didn't want to say anything because she didn't seem to remember him. (That could be very awkward) Mari eventually regained her memories and you know the rest of the story ^.~

As for the updates, well…let's say I've been really, really, really sick lately and have schoolwork to make up so that I don't fail and stuff…so I'm not sure. I will try to finish the next chapter soon though! I always try, but as you know things come up…and Utsuro-chan doesn't do nearly good enough at aggressively requesting that I work on the fanfic XD.

Wow that is a long answer O.O;;

But I hope that answers your question. If you have anymore, feel free to ask!~

-Willowwhip

Obviously I've now updated. I hope you're satisfied with the results. I've decided that I won't make a humorous disclaimer this round D=

Disclaimer: Willowwhip does NOT own Grand Chase!

A/N: Sorry the beginning sucks D=

Previously in Unintended Consequences:

Lass tried to hurry his own up. Just as he was about to…

"Arme! Are you okay?"

_Elesis barged into the room._

~*~*~Chapter 12~*~*~

There was dead silence between the chasers. Lass and Arme stood staring at Elesis while wind rushed past the slightly open window. Ronan came charging in carrying his shield and sword; effectively breaking the soundlessness.

"HAAAAAH!" Ronan yelled as he jumped. Elesis grabbed his shirt from behind, pulled him back into the hall, and retreated from the room. The door slammed behind them. Lass and Arme continued to stare at the door for a moment. Lass turned to his lovely girlfriend, kissed her forehead, and dismounted. Arme looked longingly at him with a blush gracing her cheeks, but he didn't return the gaze. He was focused on grabbing something off of the floor. The Striker picked it up to reveal that it was a bouquet of white roses.

"These are for you, milady," Lass bowed gentlemanly. Arme blushed harder.

"W-what?"

Lass smiled, "I knew I was going to be late and I saw these on my way out of town. I figured I'd pick some up for you."

Arme's eyes watered slightly before she blinked it away. The mage crawled up to Lass and hugged him around the neck.

"Thank you Lassie, you're so sweet."

Lass blushed this time, "It was nothing." He returned the hug. They shared a comfortable silence until Arme's stomach gurgled, demanding attention. Zane kicked Lass' pelvis (due to location, most likely). Arme broke the hug and sat on the bed. Lass rubbed his hip slightly.

"That kid has a serious kick," the thief said absentmindedly, "Anyways, let's get some dinner."

Arme nodded and started looking for her clothes. Lass just decided to put on new ones. Arme ended up putting on pajamas.

"Are you ready?" Lass asked. Arme nodded and Lass took her hand. He led her to the kitchen area. Most Chasers had left by the time the pair got there. Arme and Lass sat down in their respective places. The only ones still eating were Mari, Sieghart, and Elesis. The latter knight didn't seem to notice or care about Arme's presence. She was content munching on drillmon. Arme watched Elesis carefully, but the knight was completely oblivious of the mage's presence. Arme hadn't realized she was staring until a plate nudged her arm. She looked over at Lass to see him dishing a plate. Confused, Arme looked down and saw a dish full of food before her.

'He must have filled up my plate before going to fill his own...' Arme thought. She smiled, 'He really is the sweetest~.' The girl blushed again and started eating her food.

Elesis finished her food silently, stood up, took her plate to the kitchen, and went outside. Arme was shocked at the atypical soundlessness of the knight; so uncharacteristic of her. Before she knew it, Arme was sighing discontentedly.

Her companion noticed, "Arme?" His sapphire eyes glinted inquisitively. He didn't continue, having said all that he needed to.

"It's nothing!" Arme smiled sheepishly and shrugged his leering gaze off. She stood up to take her plate out to the kitchen and Lass reflected her actions. He grabbed her plate and placed on his own, frowning at the fact that it hadn't been emptied. He did not question Arme, and for that, she was grateful. Her 'encounter' with Elesis weighed heavily on her mind. Not wanting to deal with it anything anymore, she headed up to bed. Lass, predictably, followed.

~*~*~In another place ;D~*~*~

Elesis stood over the balcony, gazing at the stars; her usual serious expression etched into her face. She leaned on her left against the banister and stroked her side thoughtfully. If she'd been unclothed, Elesis would be caressing the scar beneath it. Her mind flitted to the fight where she'd received it.

"_ROOOAAAAAAAAAAAAR!" A thunderous noise shook the area. Elesis panted, energy spent. She forced herself onward. The dragon before her pounded the ground angrily; glaring at the knights and bellowing once more. Her magical and arching companions probably shouted things as they attacked the beast. Elesis wouldn't have heard; the only sound she perceived was the rushing of blood in her veins. She channeled the remainder of her power into her ligaments and charged forward. The monster bent down to bite the red-headed girl. Elesis bounced out of the way, seizing this moment of vulnerability to strike._

"_RAH!" Elesis stabbed her spear into the eye of the Balisk. It howled in pain and slashed in retaliation. Elesis' body was flung across the room and into a wall._

_It felt as though her body was in slow motion, flying through the air. The impact made her blood slosh before resuming its pace. Elesis weakly gripped her spear and tried to get up. Her body was numb with adrenaline and weariness. She did not succeed; instead of fighting, she lay there. Only one thought entered her mind._

'What am I fighting for?' _Elesis could not think of an answer. She opened her eyes, and saw the flashes of battle. Her vision was blurry from dehydration and exhaustion. She closed them again._

'What am I fighting for?' _The thought repeated itself in her mind, echoing through the caverns, '_Peace? Happiness? Honor?' _She couldn't remember anymore._

'You have to keep going' _Her inner voice rang. How many times had she thought that when times got rough? This time was different._

'How?' _She asked herself, '_No matter what I do, it won't be enough.'

'Get up, you will find the strength.'

_Elesis sighed tiredly and attempted to rise from her position on the floor. Her muscles were screaming in agony, but she was determined. Staggering, the knight rose, blade in hand. She felt her breath leave her momentarily as a strange power overcame her. Elesis was filled with energy and rage, suddenly. She rose to her feet and found she held a different weapon in her hands. It was a large sword, about the size of her body. Her spear lay behind her, dejected. As she went back to grab it, the sword seemed to call to her. It fit as though it were crafted for her hands specifically. Another roar from the Balisk reminded her of the urgency of the battle. _

'Maybe this is the strength I needed?'

_Elesis ran forward; not at full speed, but fast enough. The blade created sparks as she dragged it across the ground. _

"_UAHHHHHGHHHH!" Elesis screamed, lobbing the blade at the monster. Swinging Guillotine. It hit the monster's abdomen and stuck. When she pulled it back, a chunk was missing from the monster and gushing out blood. It cried out in pain. Elesis took another swing and took off the monster's right arm. Mid attack, the beast assaulted the red-head, who took no notice. Seeing that its neck was exposed, she jumped into the air; bringing the blade down and cutting off the fiend's head._

_Breathing heavily, Elesis knelt, placing the sword into the ground for support in an attempt to remain upright. She thought about maintaining consciousness, but in the end, it was too much. She fell to the sounds of Arme and Lire calling out inaudible words in a worried tone and darkness promptly consumed her._

Elesis unclenched the fist that'd gripped her shirt subconsciously. She forced herself to stand with her arms folded over her abdomen while leaning against the door. The Knight sighed sadly, moving from the doorway to the closet. She rummaged through dresses, mostly casual, and pulled out a slightly damp swimsuit. Ignoring its moistness, she took off her clothes to put it on.

Peeling off the day's outfit, she felt over every individual battle scar. Memories she associated with them played through her mind like any song Amy ever tried to learn and had a hard time with.

She put the memories out of her mind and finished dressing. Elesis went to the bathroom attached to her bedroom and found that there was only one towel left.

"...I need to do this less..." rolling her eyes at herself and grabbing the last towel, she headed down stairs. She passed Arme and Lass in the hallway and said no words to either of them. Elesis had nothing to say. She was trying to forget the day's events. Nothing needed to be said, so she left well enough alone. When Elesis entered the living room she was accepted as a common sight. She often came through the living room on her way to the hot tub. She slid the glass door open and crossed the grass barefoot.

She approached the hot tub that was already running. Ronan must have started it in anticipation. Elesis got in and sat down. The knight relished in the fantastically relaxing sensations the mechanism produced. It may have been the best birthday present anyone had ever given her. Mari was always had the strangest ideas. It was nice when they turned out...nice.

Suddenly Elesis was aware of the fact that she was not alone in the hot tub. She was instantly on guard, but it was to no avail. A water monster reached up from the pool before her and grabbed her in a hug, pulling her down.

Elesis thrashed in the water, pushing her attacker against the bottom and trying to separate herself from him. He manuvered around most of her attacks and got close enough to her to apply a deep kiss. She knew that kiss...

The two resurfaced and Elesis hit the man in the back of the head, blushing and breathing hard. She was soaked from top to bottom.

"Ronan! I told you not to do that anymore!"

"Ehehehe," Ronan rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "I couldn't resist"

Elesis did not look amused and sat down. Ronan sat next to her, knowing she wasn't actually mad. He cuddled in next to her, laying his head on her shoulder with an arm wrapped around her waist. His wife snuggled against him for comfort, her memories and fears materializing in her mind.

"Tomorrow I go to get tested," Elesis stated, voice containing a queer quirk in it; making her sound small.

Ronan nodded, "You scared?"

"The Savior of Bermesiah is never scared."

"Is Elesis scared?"

"..."

Ronan tightened his arm around her waist slightly, trying to wordlessly console his lover.

"Everything will turn out fine. If it doesn't, it'll still be okay. I'm not going anywhere."

Elesis sighed and rubbed the side of her head against his chest. It didn't matter what he said. The fears and doubts were still there, would always be there.

~*~*~The next day in another place ;D~*~*~

Elesis Erudon stood before an unintimidating brown hut. Her husband stood beside her, holding her hand, and leading the way in. There was no hiding it; the knight was nervous. She entered the building and avoided the curious glances of the surrounding civilians. The air inside was heavy, or maybe it was simply Elesis' nervousness that made it feel that way? Regardless, Ronan gently pulled her up to the front desk to check in.

"Hello, how may I help you?" A thin brunette with a cold demeanor asked. Her voice was monotone.

Ronan cleared his throat and glanced at Elesis. He realized she was not going to speak"Is there an appointment for Elesis Sieghart-Erudon? If so, she'd like to check in."

The woman also glanced at Elesis, who was doing her best to remain composed, "I'm assuming this is the young lady?" Ronan nodded. The woman looked back to Elesis and her eyes seemed to change. They stared directly into the knight's soul, but in a calming manner.

"Alright. Hello Ms. Elesis. It is a pleasure to meet you. I hope everything goes well for you today," She smiled gently.

Elesis attempted to smile back and succeeded for the most part, "Thanks, you too."

She pulled Ronan over to a chair as close to the exit as possible. If there was some sort of problem, she could escape right away…that and it was simply comforting to be near the exit.

'_Thanks, you too? Seriously? What's that supposed to mean? She probably thinks I'm an idiot now…oh well. She knew what I meant. It doesn't matter anyways. I'm Elesis, she wouldn't think of mocking me.'_

"Elesis?" Ronan called. Elesis realized she'd been biting her thumb nail and staring intently out at the wall across from here, and inadvertently, at a couple. They were moving out of her gaze, fearful that Elesis would develop lazer vision.

"Seriously, are you okay?" He asked quietly, earning a few sideways glances from people around her.

Elesis sighed, and looked at them. They turned away, "I'm fine, really."

Ronan looked unconvinced, "You were pretty zoned out. I had been talking to you and you didn't hear me at all."

"I said I'm fine."

"Okay, okay, just…if you're not, you can let me know."

"I know."

"That's what I'm here for."

"…I'm aware."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Just making su-"

"Are you trying to annoy me?"

Ronan looked at the ground, defeated, "I just…get nervous when you're upset."

Elesis contemplated faking happy, but knew it would fail. She took his hand in hers.

"Look at me Ronan." He did as instructed.

Elesis looked into his eyes and said as sincere as she could manage, "I'm fine. I'm nervous, but fine. There's no avoiding it, so just sit back and relax."

Ronan sighed and gripped her hand tighter in solidarity before letting go and moving it to rest on her shoulders. Elesis responded by using his bicep as a pillow. She did her best to slow her heartbeat and stop the anxiety from flowing into her. Just as she became calm…

"Elesis Erudon?" A male voice called. The knight jolted from her near slumber, "Elesis Erudon?"

The knight blushed and stood up. Ronan followed suit. The two walked over to him, Elesis leading at first. Ronan quickly took the lead and grabbed hold of her hand.

"Right this way." He lead them down the first corridor, headed downstairs, turned left and walked for a few rooms, then turned right past the second hallway. He turned into a room on his right and motioned for the pair to come in. They did; Ronan stood by the patient bench in light of Elesis needing a lift. She didn't, but Ronan was used to that. He sat in the chair adjacent to Elesis' seating arrangement after she was secure.

"Hello," The man started, flipping his long aquatic green hair behind him, "My name is Ephraim. Let's get you started with a general check up, shall we?" Elesis nodded, sparing a glance out of the corner of her eye for a split second. Ronan caught it. Ephraim snapped on rubber gloves in an unintentionally intimidating manner.

"Excuse me, but what kind of check up?" he questioned with a curious and slightly accusative tone in his voice.

Ephraim tilted his head at Ronan, confused, "Just a general check up," he moved in front of Elesis and began feeling her neck glands, "Why?"

Ronan felt awkward, he didn't want to outright accuse him of wanting to feel up his wife, "Eh...well...this is a _fertility_ clinic." The synapses seemed to click in Ephraim's mind.

"Oh no, that's not my job. Nononono, I'm just making sure general health is good."

"Good...ah..." Ronan decided that was a good time to shut up. Elesis looked straight ahead at the man. He flashed a light in her eyes, listened to her heart beat, and slyly checked her reflexes with the hammer-like tool.

"Alright, now for the more personal stuff." Ronan shifted in his seat and Elesis looked to him for a moment. Ephraim peered into her nose and ears. It took all of Elesis' effort to keep from sneezing in his face. Eventually the torment was over, and he grabbed a clipboard across the room.

"So..." he inspected something before grabbing a thermometer off the wall and putting a disposable plastic cover on it. Ephraim brought it over to Elesis.

"Open" Elesis did as she was told and opened her mouth. The man gently placed it in her mouth and waited for the mechanism to stop changing. He took it out quickly and checked the number.

"99.5, you have a mild fever."

Ronan commented, "Oh, no, that's normal for her."

Ephraim gave Ronan and Elesis a strange look as if trying to see if one was joking. They were not. The man shook it off and disposed of the covering before returning the thing to it's original location. He marked on the chart. Ephraim grabbed an armband and plastic pump from the wall next to the thermometer.

"SHCHREEEECH" the velcro fastener came undone and the contraption was placed on the top part of Elesis' arm. He felt the inside of her arm as he pumped air into the band. It grew tighter and tighter until Ephraim abruptly stopped. He undid it again and scribbled down on the chart again.

"141/91, your blood pressure is high."

Elesis nodded, "Also normal." The guy quirked his eyebrow.

"You should watch that," Elesis nodded more, "Well, I'll go get the doctor now. Nice meeting you two." They watched as Ephraim waved, turned, and walked out. The silence of the overly pristine and white room was suffocating. Elesis looked at Ronan and he looked back.

"You okay?" Ronan inquired. Elesis paused a moment and nodded.

"Yeah," she answered, "So far it's been like a normal doctor's visit."

Ronan took his wife's hand, "Hey, everything will turn out okay." The man smiled, and Elesis couldn't help but smile back despite the tears welling in her eyes.

"_How can he say that?"_Elesis thought to herself, "_How can he sit there and say 'Everything will turn out okay."? How does he know?" _She paused in her thoughts, realizing she was losing her mind, "_Shut up Elesis, he said everything is going to be fine. Everything will be fine. Stop obsessing. Just relax and go with it. Everything. Will. Be. Fine."_

A few more moments of silence passed and the two resumed their "time killing" stances. Ronan stared at the ceiling counting the black dots. Suddenly the door opened.

A blonde woman hunched from scoliosis entered with a cheerful smile, waving.

"Hello there Elesis, I'm Linda Weatherbee and I am your doctor today." Elesis muttered a greeting.

"First thing's first. Did you become allergic to any medications since the last time I saw you?"

Elesis looked away briefly, "This is the first time you've ever seen me..."

The woman looked at her chart, "Oh, why, yes it is. Well then, are you allergic to any medications or foods?" the knight shook her head, "Okay. Glad that's out of the way."

She sat down in her chair, "So, tell me what the problem seems to be. Since this is a pediatric and fertility institution, and you don't have a baby with you, I'm assuming it's fertility issues?"

Elesis glanced at Ronan, silently pleading him to answer. Ronan agreed, "We've been having difficulties getting pregnant."

The woman quirked her eyebrows in amusement, "Well, I can see why you're having a hard time getting pregnant..." Ronan hung his head in bemusement and disappointment.

"You know what I mean..."

"Yes I do, Anyways...ah..." She looked at her chart momentarily, "Elesis. I saw on here you have a mild fever? Feeling sick lately?"

Elesis shook her head, "That's my normal body temperature...and blood pressure. No matter what I do, neither goes down."

"Mmm...well...we should probably set you up on medications to control that."

Ronan sighed, "It wouldn't be of any use. She was on medication. It went down to that level and stayed there.

Linda looked frustrated for a moment and sighed, "Oh well. That's not what you're here for." She stood and walked over to the bench.

"Alright, lie on your back." Elesis looked to Ronan who nodded. Elesis complied. Linda put her hand over the knight's lower abdomen-upper pelvic area and muttered a few words under her breath. A white glow passed the distance between her hand and the body. It returned in reverse order and condensed itself to a ball. She retracted her hand and cupped the sphere of light.

**(CAUTION: THE FOLLOWING EXCERPT IS SEX EDUCATION. DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM.)**

"This is a magical representation of your ovum," she explained, "You see, an ovum is the female sex cell. A man has a sperm, which is a head-flagellum," Linda sat down, resting her back, "You see, a baby is formed by the sperm cell penetrating an ovum. When a woman has difficulties becoming pregnant, the most common explanations are, for one, the male has a low to non existent sperm count. Another could be that there is something wrong with the barrier. For example, perhaps there is no entryway."

The magical projection turned and Linda pointed to an extremely small hole, "This is where the sperm can enter. For every ovum there is only one entry way. This is a visual of your active ovum. When I say 'Active', I mean the one that your ovaries spat into your fallopian tubes." Elesis' eyes widened and subconsciously crossed her arms protectively over her stomach.

Not noticing, Linda continued, "You see, since there is an opening here, that cannot be the problem."

Elesis nodded quietly, the doctor took this moment to continue.

"Onto the next issue. There is a chance that your ovaries have not been putting out eggs. Have you been having regular periods?"

Elesis nodded slowly and Linda frowned, "Well, then. I suppose that means that isn't the issue. I'm afraid this puts me in an awkward position..."

"Why?" Ronan spoke up, confused and mildly concerned.

"Well...the only other explanation known to modern medicine that you would not be able to get pregnant would be if your ova had cysts or if the connection between the fallopian tubes and vagina was off. I made sure the latter was not the case during my inspection," Upon seeing the confused look of the knights, she sighed.

"The man ejaculates into the vagina. The sperm find the tube openings with the vagina and enter. The egg is in the fallopian tubes which are connected to the ovaries and the uterus. The egg becomes fertilized and emits an electric signal to tell the body to move the ovum to the uterus. The egg then attaches itself to the uterus lining and grows from there. With that said, I have to move on to the other possibility. If an egg is covered in cysts, the sperm will be deflected from it, thus preventing pregnancy. As you can see from the smooth lining, that's obviously not the case..." the doctor chewed her lip in concentration.

**(SEX-ED SCENE OVER BACK TO THE PLOTLINE KTHANKS SORRY FOR INTERRUPTING BYE oDo)**

Elesis' eyes had glassed over during the lecture. That was more information than she needed to know, and quite frankly, she was missing the bottom line.

"So..." Elesis started, "What does that mean."

Linda looked at Elesis with folded arms, "Well, my dear, it looks like there's nothing wrong with you and you need to keep trying. The only other explanation modern medicine has to offer is that the problem is your mate."

Ronan sighed, "My appointment was yesterday. They said I'm just fine too."

"Well," Linda started, coldness emanating from her voice, "I guess you two aren't trying hard enough. If I were to suggest something, it'd be to lower your blood pressure and relax. Emotions affect your abilities to sire or bear a child." Ronan looked to Elesis who was chuckling bitterly.

"If emotions had anything to do with it, I'd be pregnant seven times over already." She hopped off the bench and took Ronan's hand; quitting the room and dragging him through corridors that looked familiar. It didn't take long for her to become lost and for a nurse to find them. She wore her hair long and red with a small side ponytail. The woman stood a head shorter than Elesis, but that didn't make her any less noticeable. What struck the couple most was that she was carried a box of bandages, placing them on people seemingly randomly.

"Hello? May I help you with something?" She blocked Elesis' frustrated tempest.

Ronan spoke for his wife, "Yes kind lady, would you please escort us out?"

"I'd be happy to," the woman replied cheerfully, "Follow me~ My name is Hinahime, by the way. I'm a pediatric nurse!" Elesis snorted, aggravation growing. Ronan sped up to her pace and wrapped an arm consolingly around her side. The knight didn't approve and moved out of her husband's embrace.

Ronan whispered, "Elesis, calm down. Remember what Ms. Weatherbee said." Elesis growled but relaxed her shoulders. Ronan sighed and took his wife's hand. She did not move away.

"Here is the staircase to the lobby~." Elesis sighed gratefully.

"Thanks" she stated before heading up the stairs.

"Wait!" Elesis turned around to see Hinahime seemingly jab her in the eye. Elesis pulled back but Hinahime stayed with her. She pulled down Elesis' eyelids and placed something on one of them. The nurse let go.

"Don't take it off now, I promise your pregnancy issues will go away if you wear that for a little while~" Hinahime chimed and ran off. Elesis opened her eyes and realized whatever she put on was on the top of her eyelid.

"Ronan? What is that?" Elesis asked, closing her eyes and turning to Ronan.

"Why...it's a little red band-aid...with sparkles."

"Take it off."

Ronan gently tried to wedge his nail under the adhesive, but it was stuck on tightly. Elesis groaned in pain after he tried to use more force.

"I...I'm sorry. I can't get it off without hurting you." Elesis groaned in irritation and tried to dig it off with her nails. She only succeeded in irritating her eyelid.

"Elesis, please stop, you're going to make it bleed," Ronan urged, concerned. He grabbed her hands, "Just leave it for now. We'll get it off when we get home." Elesis groaned. Ronan let go of one of her hands, loosened his grip on the other one, and lead the way up the staircase. He opened the door and held it for her. Elesis passed him and took front. People stared at her as she left. Whispers started immediately. Elesis blushed and walked faster towards the exit. Ronan had to jog to catch up with the sudden change in speed. The lady from the desk watched them leave.

"Have a nice day!" she called. Elesis opened the door and slammed it behind herself and Ronan. The woman looked down at the newspaper, "Rude bitch. Oh? What's this?" Something in the newspaper caught her attention and she went back to reading it.

~*~*~OwO~*~*~

Ronan and Elesis arrived back at the house within an hour. The sky appeared to be at midday. Elesis was had given up on taking the thing off. She realized that it wasn't going to be removed with conventional methods of separation. Ronan walked through the front door with Elesis and the two went to the library. He led her down an aisle towards a section of books labeled "Ronan". He stopped halfway through the section and looked intensely for something.

"Where...Aha!" Ronan exclaimed after a minute. He pulled a book off of the shelf and blew it to get the dust off. It was dark blue with yellow pages. He opened it up to the middle and flipped forward a few pages.

"Elesis, let me see the bandage." Elesis did as she was told. Ronan touched it and muttered a few words laden with power. He tried to pull off the bandage and nothing happened. Frowning, Ronan turned more pages and repeated the process. Still that time, he was able to pull off the band-aid.

He frowned deeper and looked at it, "Mmm...That's very odd."

"...Can I open my eyes now?" Elesis asked.

"...Hmm? Oh...yes..." Elesis opened her eyes and saw that he was inspecting the bandage very closely.

The knight tilted her head, curiously, "Ronan? What is it?"

"...T...this bandage...is...was...adhered with magic..." Elesis frowned and Ronan looked up, "Ah... it's nothing important. Just a bit confusing. She was probably just a nut-case who believed that her band-aids were all healing, so she stuck them on with magic. Sweet, I suppose, that she wanted to help you." Elesis nodded and Ronan stuck the bandage in his pocket.

"I was thinking," Ronan started, looking away, "It's been quite some time since we've gone out on a date," Elesis sighed and the magical swordsman continued, "We should go today. Perhaps it will make you feel better?"

"I was unaware that I was feeling unwell."

"But you were unhappy."

Elesis sighed in resignation. She supposed she owed it to him, what with all of her anxiety and his patience with it all. He really seemed to want to go out.

"You wanted to go out today?"

"Very much, Elesis."

She sighed again, "Okay...whatever." Ronan smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

"Thank you, love."

"Whatever...what did you have in mind?"

Ronan thought for a minute, "Well...the fair is in a town nearby... and there's a new cake shop over near by it. Wanna have a day filled with fun rides, gorging ourselves on terribly unhealthy fried desserts, and end it by eating more dessert?"

Elesis giggled quietly, "Sounds like fun. You know my affinity for food."

Ronan made a silly happy face and Elesis laughed again. He knelt down, "Your carriage Milady?" Elesis faux curtsied and climbed onto his back. The knight couldn't help but feel excited. She loved the fair.

"TO PREPARATION!" Ronan called out and took off. Elesis squealed jokingly.

~*~*~MOREOTHERPLACES~*~*~

Lire, Amy, Jin, and Ryan stood outside a shop. Inside were plastic people posing, wearing formal male attire.

Ryan looked displeased, "Lireee~ I don't want to wear those..."

Lire stamped her foot and looked at Ryan, "For the love of Gaia! Ryan! You have to wear a suit in the very least!" Amy pouted at him.

"Yeah! Lire's right!"

"Amy, stay out of this," Jin suggested. Amy glared briefly at Jin before returning to glare at Ryan with Lire.

"Ryan," Lire started, calmly, "We made an agreement. I wasn't going to force you to wear a tuxedo. You ARE going to dress nicely, however. I will NOT let you wear shorts and a t-shirt!"

Ryan pouted, "I still don't see what's wrong with my forest savior shirt and green shorts."

Lire groaned in frustration, "Come." She grabbed his hand and dragged the wolf into the shop. Amy followed, skipping with glee.

Jin held his head in his hand, "This is going to be a long day."

~*~*~DREAMSEQUENCE~*~*~

_Lass and Arme held a picnic with their two children. They sat on the blanket, cuddling and watching their children. Sarianna and Zane were chasing yellow butterflies. Lass closed his eyes for a moment, taking in the glorious sun. There was a tug on his sleeve. Lass opened his eyes and looked down._

"_Daddy!" he yelled excitedly. Lass smiled lightly._

"_Yes?"_

_The boy rose his arms, "Dragon, Daddy! I wanna play dragon!"_

_Lass chuckled and kissed his love on the forehead. She'd fallen asleep, so he gently laid her on the blanket. He picked up his son by the armpit and legs. The fast man ran around, making dragon noises, jokingly scorching Sarianna who had decided to sit on the grass and play with a flower. She squealed in play. Lass returned to his lover, dragon style._

"_ROAAAARRR!" Lass yelled, Zane giggling all the while. He rushed at Arme and then set the boy in her lap. He proceeded to relax with his lover._

_Minutes passed, and Arme nudged her boyfriend, "Lass?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_What...is 'anna looking at?"_

_Lass looked up, and saw her sitting, unmoving, staring into the empty space. Lass groaned, getting up and walking over to Sarianna._

_Lass rubbed his neck and looked to his daughter, "What's wro-" Lass' eyes widened in fear._

"_Hello Lass. It's been a long time."_

"_W-what's happening?"_

"_How are you? I've been really busy being dead. You know, after your friends _murdered _me."_

"_What?"_

_The woman stood, sighing, "Look, we did a lot of things together that you regret, but I believe we can work past that, for the betterment of the world."_

"_What do you want Kaze'aze?" Lass asked, backing up grabbing the hilt of his nodachi._

"_But don't you recognize me Daddy?" she asked, slowly morphing into his daughter, then morphing back. Lass swore, panic taking over his mind, and turned quickly to look for Arme and Zane. In their place were two Kaze-a-likes. _

"_Lass, you should wake up now. It's a good idea."_

Lass awoke to his pregnant lover straddling his thighs and dabbing his face with a cool, damp, rag. She wore a nightgown and a worried countenance. She saw his eyes wide in anxiety, and she pulled back.

Arme tilted her head and looked at the thief with concerned eyes, "You are alright? You must have had a really bad nightmare. You were...much warmer than normal. Are you feeling okay?"

Lass looked around, breathing heavily, adrenaline soaring. The room was dark and he couldn't see any immediate danger. He looked at Arme's stomach and held it. A hand pressed back and he could feel his daughter's aura emanating, untainted.

"I...yeah. It was...a very bad nightmare."

"As long as that's all..." Arme laid back down into her boyfriend's arms.

_'God, I hope so,' _Lass thought to himself.

~*~*~Carnival~*~*~

"Oh. My. God."

Elesis and Ronan couldn't help but to stare at the excessively large, amazing rides. Everything was so...

"This must be one of Mari's products."

"Or one of the products of her apprentices."

"That makes more sense, actually."

"Well, might as well...check it out..."

The two walked cautiously into the 'playground'. People screamed in fear and excitement everywhere. Ronan whipped his head around like a schizophrenic and his muscles were tense. He could barely hear his wife calling to him.

"Ronan?" Ronan looked down sharply, "Ronan are you okay?"

"Y-yeah...yeah. I...no. No. I'm not okay. I..." The poor knight was quivering and breathing heavily. The screaming was driving him mad. Elesis took him by the hand and started leading him away. Suddenly, a sapphire-haired boy with green eyes appeared.

"Hello! Welcome to the Puppet's Summit! The first, ever, amusement park with mechanical rides! The fare is one hundred Gold Points for an unlimited pass to this fantastic city!

"C-city?" Ronan stuttered, astonished "_This hell extends for an entire city?"_

The male tilted his head and thought for a minute, "Well, more like a large village, but you understand what I mean, right? It's BIGGER than ANY CARNIVAL YOU'VE EVER SEEN! And it is PERMANENT!" Ronan felt faint. Elesis noticed.

"Well, this place is...fantastic, but we...don't have the fee right now. I...didn't realize it was quite so expensive. I thought this was just a fair. Maybe next time?" She asked, trying to make her lie seem truthful.

The pre-teen looked disappointed for a moment before perking back up, "Oh! I understand~ Well, have a nice night!" Elesis sighed in relief when she was finally able to drag her half-alive husband away.

"Oof," Elesis ran into something soft, presumably a human, "Oi, watch whe- Oh, hello Mari."

Mari looked up from her blueprints to see Elesis and...Ronan.

"Good evening, Elesis," Mari replied, staring at Ronan inquisitively, "Hmm...curious."

The engineer began to pull out some kind of meter from her backpack that blended with her outfit. It was shaped like an arm-band, similar to a blood pressure gage, but mechanical and missing a pump. It was placed on the dazed spell knight's arm and within seconds it let out a quiet 'beep'. Mari examined a box that lay within the band.

"Well. It seems Ronan is experiencing a panic-attack-induced state of hypnosis. External stimulus overwhelmed his brain, so it shut down," the woman observed, reaching into her backpack to pull out a bottle of pills, "May I ask what it was caused by?"

"Eh...I'm guessing it was all the women screaming."

"This is decent data. Record. Subject, Ronan Erudon. Condition, Panic Attacks. Cause, Plausibly screaming women. Data quality, decent."

"Ah...Mari? I kinda need to get him out of here before he has a seizure."

"He is afflicted with seizures as well?"

"Well, no, but if he were to have one, now would be a good time."

"I see. Is he allergic to any medications?"

"No...?"

The engineer opened her pill bottle, grabbed Elesis's hand gently, but firmly. She opened it and gave the knight the pills.

"Feed those to him, he will be fine within fifteen minutes. They are fast-dissolving so you may wish to do this now."

Elesis did as instructed, with a somewhat wary face. Ronan accepted the pills and they dissolved on his tongue.

"May I ask why you have those pills on hand?"

"Some of the side effects of my previous experiments would cause panic attacks. I never saw the need to dispose of them, and they can be useful in situations such as this."

"Oh...that makes sense. Thank you, Mari."

"It is...alright," The rune-caster replied.

"Ms. Mari!" The boy from earlier ran up to the woman, "I handed out all of my tickets! Oh! Are these friends of yours?" Elesis looked at the boy in confusion. It was unheard of for the Grand Chase to be unheard of.

Yes. They are my superiors in the group that we are a part of."

"Oh...the...Grand Chase-thingie?" Mari nodded, "I am so very sorry! I should have granted you free admittance! I apologize! Please forgive me!" The boy bowed his head, hit all at once with his crime and the guilt it came with. "

Elesis laughed nervously and waved off the apology, "It's fine. I was just shocked that you didn't know who we were on contact!"

The boy looked at the ground with great shame. Mari explained.

"He is an amnesiac. He does not remember anything from before the Great Peace."

"Oh." Elesis observed as an emotion come over her female comrade's face.

"_It makes sense that she'd sympathize with a fellow amnesiac," _Elesis thought. A noise to her left brought her out of her musings and back to the outside world.

Ronan stirred from his trance, "What...how did we end up over here?"

"Ah, I see you are awake." Mari took his pulse to see that it was alright. Ronan looked at Elesis who shrugged as if to say, 'I'll tell you in a moment.'

"Ronan appears to be operational again," Mari announced, "As previously mentioned, you may ride anything for free," the woman dug through a pocket in her skirt and pulled out two disk-like devices.

"What are these?" the spell knight asked.

Mari adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat, "Those are keys to enter the rides. Have fun, I am off to make sure everything is fully functional and...safe." Mari was unaccustomed to that word. It didn't sound well coming off of her tongue.

"Oh," Elesis started, "You too." She looked to Ronan who smiled at her.

"If you still want to go, the screaming isn't bothering me as much anymore," Ronan offered his hand. Elesis looked at the metallic contraptions and back to her husband. She couldn't read his expression, so she thought about what she wanted to do.

"Hmm…well, we DO have these free 'keys'…and it'd be rude to waste them, so…let's go!" Elesis smiled and giggled. She took his hand and pulled Ronan towards the festivities who laughed at her sudden childlike actions.

"Okay! Okay! Slow down! I'm kinda dizzy."

Elesis stopped and looked at him, "If you're not feeling well, we can go home."

"No, it's not that," Ronan replied, "I think whatever caused the screaming to not bother me is what caused the dizziness. What happened while I was out?" The two began walking hand-in-hand to the center of the village.

"Eh," Elesis started, thinking, "Well, I left the boy. Then I ran into Mari. We talked for a while about what was going on, then she pulled out some pills that she used to give Sieghart to calm him down. She had me give them to you. Then we talked more, and the boy showed up, then you woke up."

Ronan nodded, "So…what do you want to do first?" They had reached the central plaza. There were food shops set up everywhere, and behind them, there were rides where people were screaming. There were lines that stretched for twenty people, easily. Some had over fifty, some at a shorter length, and others had no line at all.

"Hey there! Can I help ya with somethin'?" A with tanned skin and long blonde hair tied back in braids appeared. She wore an apron that covered her entire front. Elesis sighed.

"Ah…" Ronan started, "We're new to this…attraction. What do you recommend we start with?"

"Well OOBVIOUSLY I rec'mend ever'thing…but for nubs, I guess it depends on what you like to do. Do you want to spin? Go really fast? Go high? What?"

Ronan shook his head, "I don't know."

"Well, do you throw up easy?" The girl inquired.

"Ah…no."

"Do you like spinning in circles or getting dizzy?"

Ronan looked at Elesis who shrugged, "It doesn't really matter."

The girl thought for a moment then started skipping north, "Follow me~"

While skipping she hummed, "Are you afraid of heights?~"

"I am a little…" Elesis commented.

"Kay," The girl stopped in front of a ride that had no people in line, "This is the Lightning Express!"

The 'Ride' looked like an open train on a large circular track. There was a large box of metal at the front and a gate to discourage people from cutting in line or running onto the track while the vehicle was moving. It was covered by a metal and wooden canopy, presumably for keeping the ride cool.

"Try this one first, it's fun for beginners!" She stood by a large metal box. Ronan and Elesis followed her.

"Alright, stick your keys in here," the woman indicated a slot that was the size of their disks. Ronan stuck his in first. The machine flashed a little and the disk came back, "…take it and go take a seat in the front. Now you," she instructed, speaking to Elesis. The knight hesitantly put her disk into the slot. The same procedure occurred, "Go sit with your man."

Elesis went and sat down. Ronan wrapped his arm around Elesis' shoulders and the girl followed.

"I'm Kyla, by the way. I'll be assisting you in your Summit Orientation~ Move your arm to your side" the girl chimed cheerfully, while bringing a metal bar down over their heads. She reached behind the couple and pulled a strong fabric strip with a metal buckle down from over Elesis' head, "Spread your legs a sec." She connected the fabric with the other piece of buckle that was in between Elesis' legs. She hopped over the kart front and did the same to Ronan, slyly feeling his chest with her arm.

"Mmm, what a nice, muscular man you have here," Kyla commented and giggled. Ronan laughed awkwardly while Elesis looked at her in an odd manner.

"Thanks. That's my husband." She felt the need to add that last bit. Ronan's grip on Elesis' shoulders tightened to console her.

"Wow, nice. Anyways, make sure to keep all hands, arms, and other ligaments within the kart at all times. Have fun!"

She hopped back over to the machine and waved while sliding up the box's door. She entered something into a keypad and the ride started, jerking into motion. Ronan put his arm back around Elesis. All the karts started to move as if a train. They were slow, but sped up rapidly, going forward. Elesis gripped the bar nervously and Ronan tightened his grip. The ride kept getting faster and faster. The knight was almost certain they were going to become derailed, but it never happened. Instead, it slowed down, abruptly stopped, then started going backwards. Elesis squealed a little as it went at the same speed. Ronan laughed heartily and kissed his wife's cheek. She was cringing, but smiling. She leaned into his embrace and he held onto her.

A few minutes later, the mechanism stopped and went forward again. Elesis was more prepared for that one, and was able to fully enjoy herself. She couldn't help but giggle as her stomach was filled with the sensation of butterflies.

Eventually the machine stopped again and Kyla came onto the platform to unbuckle the two chasers. She went to Ronan first, then undid Elesis. She raised the bar.

"So?" she started, rocking on her heels and puffing out her chest, "How was the ride?"

Elesis ignored her bouncy, perfect, breasts and answered, "It was great! I kinda wanna go again."

Kyla tsked, "Nonono, You won't feel the same after you try the other rides. Come, lets go to the Shaker!~"

Ronan looked at his wife and took her hand for the umpteenth time that day.

They tried out many other rides; some of which they both liked, and others that only one of them liked. Eventually the day came to a close. And Kyla led them to a large circular ride. The sky was black and the fair was illuminated with torches.

"Finally, we've come to the last attraction; the Ferus Wheel. Oh good, there's no line and it's almost time." Kyla took Ronan's hand and led the two into where the line would form.

Cerulean rocks shot out of the ground and levitated. They shimmered with electric blue fire. Everyone stopped and observed the scene with awe. They apparently acted as a voice transmission because a voice could be heard coming from them.

"Attention Guests, the light show is about to begin," the Ferus Wheel lit up. A Panther drawn in glowing pink magical flames appeared in the center of the wheel. The crowd cheered and raced into the Ferus Wheel line. Ronan grabbed Elesis around the waist and pulled her into his chest protectively. Normally the female knight would, but at that moment she was mildly frightened,"The Ferus Wheel is now open."

If it wasn't loud enough already, more screaming followed that announcement. Ronan clenched his eyes shut.

"Uh oh. I think the medicine is wearing off," Ronan stated squinting. Elesis looked at her husband with concern. He was cringing away from all of the noise, trying to remain calm. The woman hugged him secretively.

Kyla stroked the female knight's back to acquire her attention, "Hey, you can go on the Ferus Wheel now. It's probably best if you do. The others look kinda impatient."

It was true. A few people yelled at the couple. They must not have seen that it was the Grand Chase that stood before them due to the darkness

"Alright," Ronan started, "Elesis, you ready?" She nodded and Ronan walked over to the metal box he'd become accustomed to seeing. The knights put their tokens in and the wheel rotated. Its gate opened and the couple walked into the seat. People rapidly filled in the wheel. It rotated to allow more people to board and the two were soon at the top, overlooking the beautiful scenery. Ronan laughed at the illumination of the blue rocks.

"Elesis, look," Ronan commanded, laughing and pointing at the rocks. It appeared as if the rocks were laid out in the form of a puppet master. Elesis laughed as well.

"Attention Guests, the Ferus Wheel is now at maximum capacity," A wave of groaning occurred, "Please hold as the secondary wheel is readied."

The Ferus Wheel lifted itself, tilted horizontally, and brought out another wheel; oriented crosswise. People cheered at this sight.

"Introducing our newest attraction, the double Ferus." The entire crowd was able to fit on the second wheel. The staff members had assembled at the base and made sure that all people were adequately strapped in.

The boy from earlier was the one to check on Ronan and Elesis' seat belts, "Hello again! How was your day?"

"Oh, it was fine," Elesis answered. Ronan nodded in agreement. The boy was ecstatic.

"Yes! I'm so glad! If you liked that, you're going to LOVE this. Ms. Onette has been working for months trying to organize this light show," That didn't shock the pair in the least, "Oh look! It's starting!"

The sky burst with blue light. Words formed.

"Puppet's Summit" A mountain with little figures on it was illuminated.

The voice on the announcer panel changed to a feminine voice, "Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away..." A burst of light formed a pair of twins outlined in yellow, a boy and a girl. Music began to play, "There were two twin babies," Those lights faded and were replaced by the boy standing alone, "One day the government came and take the newborn daughter away from the mother..."

The story continued to explain that the girl was taken away to replace the old diva; a girl who sang to keep the dragon pleased, and to ask things from him as requested by the world. Her twin brother grew up, feeling that someone was missing and that a part of him was in danger. He started hearing his twin sister's magical voice calling to him and came across a magical treble cleft that he used to draw a map. The man set out on a quest to find his sister.

The sky faded and three electric blue dots took the place of the old picture, "To be continued. Please enjoy the rest of the light show." The music died away.

Murmurs spread throughout the area as people discussed what just took place.

"Wow!" Elesis said, "That was an amazing story~. We need to come back sometime and see the next part!" She was impressed, greatly. Ronan nodded in agreement. The knight cuddled up to Ronan and watched the beautiful explosions of color that had begun to fill the sky. It wasn't long before she was asleep in his arms.

~*~*~Lator~*~*~

"Elesis...hey, Elesis?" the spell knight caressed his lover into waking.

She blinked in confusion, "Is it over?"

"Yeah...let's head home, okay? You look really tired." Elesis nodded and laid against his chest, not moving.

"Ellie? Are you getting up?"

"No."

"So I'm carrying you home this time?"

"Yes."

Ronan chuckled. She only acted like that when she was really tired. Luckily for Ronan, he wasn't. The spell knight lifted his wife off of him, laid her on the bench so he could get up, picked her up length-wise, and headed home.

~*~*~End chapter~*~*~

A/N: Sorry for the wait. Hopefully the length of the chapter makes up for it? Also, I am aware that there are more things that prevent pregnancy, but considering the time period, I think that's as far as anyone would have gotten. Flame at me if you desire, but be warned that all fire will be used to heat the houses of the homeless and excessively impoverished. =D

If you care about why I was gone for so long, continue reading the A/N. If you don't, click the "review" button at the bottom of the page =D

So, while I was writing, I couldn't help but feel I was missing something important. Several months later, I discovered what I was missing, but had no desire to write due to the immense drama that was going on. I was also sick and have discovered that I will be ill for the rest of my life. Has gotten past that. Then I needed to study for exams so I don't have to make up an entire year's worth of credits next year. I hope to finish this story over the summer. We're nearing the end 8D Arme's like, six months pregnant and it's towards the end of summer/beginning of fall.

As previously mentioned (Or not, I am unsure), this will be the last non-outlined chapter I will ever write. I will spend about a month creating an outline of the rest of the story and then start writing chapter 13. I warn you all, I have to learn a song on the piano over the summer, get a job, and also make birthday presents. Although writing time should increase, it may not increase as much as initially intended.

Also, hurray for 10,063 words 8D. Have a nice day *hugs all*

-Willowwhip


	14. The Corrupt Nova: Complete

Utsuro: Ready?

Laurel: Always.

(both begin typing rapidly on their keyboards)

Svetlana: (wanders into the writing room) What are you two...doing?

Shartruce: Writing (snuggles in between Laurel and Utsuro and works on sewing)

Svetlana: ...okay... 

Disclaimer: I do not own Grand Chase or Supernatural. Yes that is a reference to the show. I also don't own Ouka Cross. Please read, review, and enjoy 3

~*~*~Chapter 13, The Corrupt Nova~*~*~

"There it is!" Lire shouted standing atop the deck of the ship she and her fiance rented; long, thin, white, dress billowing in the wind. The masculine, orange-haired elf wrapped his arms around the woman. She took in his scent, he smelled of mud and pine sap, as always. Luckily, it wasn't a smell she minded. The archer tilted her head back and rubbed it against Ryan's chest. He took a hand off of her waist and stroked her long silky blonde hair. She moaned in pleasure. The elves felt their heart beats increase in pace as they kissed.

"Good lord, I'm so nervous," the elfin maiden shuddered. Ryan pulled her closer, pressing her soft body into his toned chest.

He kissed her neck, and up into her honey-scented hair, "Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be fine."

Lire pulled away slightly, "No...you don't know that...I...I love this island. It's beautiful. I can't imagine having my wedding anywhere else. I...have to have this wedding here...and...they have to accept you. I..." Ryan shushed her

"Relax, love," Ryan stroked her abdomen gently and moved his other arm down to re-embrace her, "They'll accept me, I'm an elf; a full-blooded elf."

Lire groaned and sighed, "You're an outside elf, a child of a reject. You smell like the forest, so they'll assume that you're dirty," she paused for a moment, realizing the full weight of her words, "Sorry, that's how they are. I don't feel that way, but the elders...are old-fashioned. That and I need the others to come. I can't have this marriage if they don't come."

"They will be accepted. We're the saviors of the world. They wouldn't refuse us our wedding."

"You don't know them," She said with a crest-fallen face. Lire knew it was a pointless endeavor, but she couldn't think of anything else. She could be wrong, it has happened before. Something inside of her said, however, that this wouldn't work.

And to that statement, Ryan had no counter. He could only cradle her lithe, perfect body against his secure being, "It will be okay. I will **make** it okay. Our wedding will be perfect. Don't worry. It will be everything you've dreamed."

Lire sighed sadly and allowed herself to be comforted, "I sure hope so."

~*~*~OntheislandofEryuell~*~*~

Lire's white slipper touched the cushion of grass beneath her feet and instantly she was swept up in familiar, loving, arms.

"Oh, my beloved child, how long it has been since I last held you. Oh, you have been very missed. Where have you been. Why have you not visited sooner?"

"Hello Mother," Lire responded, returning the embrace. The two women began speaking of things in a language that Ryan did not understand. He took that moment to gather their things and join Lire's side. Stepping off the boat, and into the lush greenery, Ryan became acutely aware of the plethora of wildlife surrounding him. Before dismounting the water-vessel, the island had been surrounded in thick, dense, fog. His vision couldn't have penetrated it. He concluded that cloaking magic protected the island from his sight. The sun shone brilliantly through the thick foliage. The trees were at least thirty meters high, probably higher.

"No, you must come home first. I have prepa- Oh. Is this the male you mentioned?" The woman identified as Lire's mother stood with flawless posture and knee-length brunette hair, staring at Lire's lover.

Ryan rubbed his head sheepishly, "Hello, my name is Ryan," he held his hand out to be shaken, "Pleased to meet you. I'm her fiance."

The woman took the appendage gingerly, and gave a mild handshake; sizing him up.

"Well...he is...definitely..not from any part of Eryuell." She left the statement at that, let go, an walked towards the town Ryan just noticed.

Lire sighed sadly and grabbed her fiance's hand, following her barn, and began speaking more gibberish.

Ryan took that time to continue his observation. The houses, if you could call them that, were quite interesting. The forest loving elf felt tears prick at his eyes. This woodland was everything he'd ever dreamed of. Houses were built into the trees, which were some of the most vibrant, strong, healthy trees he'd ever seen. Rope bridges connected areas. The ground was covered in grass everywhere. Alpacas were being ridden and children were playing musically. Elderly scholars carried on lighthearted debates atop the walkways. Ryan's heart burst with joy at the complete respect for nature expressed by the town.

"Here it is, home sweet home," Lire's mother chimed. She looked to Ryan and went to speak, hesitated, and then continued, "Make yourself...comfortable...and try not...to...dirty up the upholstery."

"Mother!"

"No, no, it's fine. I assure you, I will not ruin your couch."

Lire gave her mother a light glare, "That was rude."

"Oh, he understands. I didn't mean to be offensive. I just don't know about his cleanliness habits. He smells like pine trees.

"Oh, you..."Lire became frustrated and they entered the home. Like the others, it was built into a tree. When they entered, the inside smelled of earth and flowers. Her couch was made of white fabric. The house was small. It looked as if it would accommodate herself and possibly a guest. Luckily, there were only Lire and Ryan.

"It's a very nice place you have here, Ma'am" Ryan expressed. He was still slightly awestruck from his walk. A tunic and pant set laid on the dining room table. Lire's mother glided over to it.

"You should wear these while you're here," She handed them to him, gliding over in her gracefully flowing dress. Ryan looked down at his own attire. An orange, Forest Savior, shirt, paired with green shorts and wooden sandals. They were the most formal clothes he wore, besides his armor.

"What's wrong with what I have on?" he asked. She moaned low, in understanding.

"There's nothing wrong with those clothes. However, it is tradition, the mother-in-law must make the husband a set of clothes, which he is to wear in her home. Thus, you must wear this outfit."

Ryan frowned in confusion, but took it anyways, "Thank you. I'll go put it on now, Ms..."

"Aella, just Aella."

"Alright, Aella," Ryan liked that name, "Where can I go?"

"The second floor is where the guest bedroom is. Change there."

"Thank you." With that being said, the Vanquisher walked upstairs, holding the clothes carefully and carrying up the couple's luggage. The custom was silly, but he supposed if he wanted her approval, he'd have to submit to whatever strange traditions her family upheld.

As Ryan entered the upstairs of the tree-abode, he smelled the wonderful scent of sap and fresh earth, mixing with the sweet aroma of living botany. He could see out from a glass window similar to those on the Hull of a ship. He changed into his new outfit, throwing the old clothes to the side of the room in a heap. Ryan looked at the bed, and wondered how it felt. He sat down to put on his new socks and shoes. The bed gave quite a bit; it rest, stuffed with feathers. Ryan felt his eyelids drooping as he sat. The boat ride finally caught up with him. He kicked off his shoes, threw the duffel bags in the corner with his clothes, and fell asleep.

The druid awoke to find the room had been re-organized. The smell of roast emanated from below and filled the house. He heard whistling akin to a tea kettle. Ryan decided that it was time to wake up and have some of that delicious smelling something-or-other. He stood, cracked his neck and back, then headed down the steep staircase. There was a plate of cheese in the center of the table, surrounded by various breads, odd vegetables, and fruits. A strange pot with a whistle on top cooked. Ryan rubbed his eyes as he gazed upon his love. She turned her head and smiled warmly at him.

"Good evening, have a nice nap?"

Ryan nodded, dazed smile on his face. His mind felt cloudy as he walked to the table and sat next to Lire. He kissed the girl on the forehead, who kissed his chin in return. He sat next to her and took Lire's cue.

A thirteen year-old boy walked in the door, damp from cleansing himself, and holding bathing utensils. He rubbed his ears with a slightly damp towel.

"So, this is the thing you dragged back with you, Li?"

Lire smiled at him, "Yeah, this is Ryan. Ryan, this is Sethos" The boy waved once in acknowledgment and went to put his bathing utensils back. He handed the towel to his mother, who kissed him and took the cloth gratefully. Sethos sat at the table across from the couple.

"So...When is Xerxes getting here?" Sethos looked uncomfortable.

Lire responded, "When he gets here," The woman replied, "He's off hunting. You know Xerxes." She looked at the door expectantly, as if simply saying his name would summon him. The witchcraft didn't work, and the awkward silence ensued.

Ryan had to break it, "So...Sethos, what do you do?"

"I'm in the Elfin Core. I am a professional archer."

"Ah."

"So, how long have you known Lire?"

"I've known her since the start of my journey."

"Oh, really? So..."

Lire answered for him, "Five, almost six years. He was fighting off evil spirits in the Elfin Forest and is completely responsible for it's return to normal."

"So you're the lone survivor of the Great Flame of Five, Sixty-eight?" Ryan nodded in response. The turn the conversation took brought back bitter-sweet memories from his younger days.

"Congratulations on surviving. From what I understand, that fire burned down ALL of the forest. Not only that, but it was a magical fire; and Druids aren't magicians.

Ryan's eyes widened slightly, "What do you know about that fire?"

"Just this. I was not fond of the class that taught it." Sethos stared at the wall for a minute before leaning back in his chair and cleaning his nails. More silence occurred. A minute or so into it, a man burst through the door, carrying presents.

"HELLO ALL!" A burly man bellowed heartily, "I come bearing gifts of love for my sister and brother...s!"

"Hi Xerx. I missed you," Lire stood up. He set them on the couch and swept Lire up in a hug that lifted her off the ground. She giggled and hugged him tightly back.

The man had the body of a lumberjack. Lire looked scrawny in his embrace. His elfin ears were sharp and pointed back, close to his head. His eyes were bold and powerful, lips tight. In contrast, Sethos' lips were full, and eyes dull in appearance. They shared hair and eye color, but Sethos had a baby face, where Xerxes had too broad of a chin for that. The younger won possessed a button nose, where Xerxes' was sharp. Their difference in appearance seemed to reflect their difference in personality.

"So, what rat did you bring home this time, Kid?~" Ryan felt awkward, and slightly insulted.

Lire giggled and replied, "He's not a rat~, he's a full-blooded elf. Come on now. You're going to hurt his self-esteem with all this picking." For some reason, that made Ryan feel worse. He shook it off.

"I," Sethos chimed in, "Haven't said a thing."

"For which I am grateful." Lire was placed down on the ground.

"Oh, Ry," Xerxes started, "You know I was just kidding, You know I didn't mean that. I was just picking on my new brother-in-law." Ryan smiled awkwardly and Xerxes held out his hand.

Ryan looked at it confused, he couldn't possibly-, "Huh?"

"A real man gives a proper handshake. Let me see how you shake my hand." Lire and Aella muttered things under their breath. Aella chuckled quietly and Lire held her head.

Ryan hesitantly reached for it, "Come on, be a man! Big, hearty, handshake!"

Ryan sighed and did as he asked. They shook hands. Xerxes' muscles weren't just for show. Those rippling biceps sent a wave of vibration through Ryan's arm. The elf's ears twitched at the odd sensation.

"Not bad for someone of your strength level. I'm impressed. A better hand shake than most of these scholarly punks. Tells your honesty."

Sethos groaned emphatically as he was flipping through the pages of a book named Le Supernatural, "Not this nonsense again. Can we at least eat first? I'm hungry, and I know if you don't quiet yourself now, you will keep us from eating for another hour."

"Hey..." Xerxes said, "Obviously, you don't understand the **value** of a good handshake. Although I don't know how that's possible. It's not like I wasn't around to explain it to you." Sethos visibly stiffened at those words

Lire touched Xerxes' shoulder, somehow, "Xerx, not picking on you, please let us eat now. It's been ages since I had a decent, Elfin, meal; and Mother's pressure roast smells heavenly."

He raised his chin up and stared at her down from his pointy, small nose, "Okay. I will. BUT ONLY," He paused to look at Sethos, "Because this lady needs her nourishment. IT IS VITAL, that she does not faint from hunger. SO. I will sit down," He made to sit, "And post-pone this discussion until a later date." He gestured for the other two to sit down. Aella grabbed the almost empty cheese platter off the table and set it aside.

"Mom! Fed us!" Xerxes yelled, jokingly.

She laughed, "What does it look like I'm doing? Juggling?"

Sethos commented, "Yes." The teen-elf turned a page of his book.

"Oh shush, you." She brought the pot to the holder by it's handles. A ladle and large fork rest inside. She set down another pot holder and brought out mashed potatoes.

"The butter is on the counter, darlings," Everyone remained seated, "Really? No butter?"

Sethos turned a page of his book, set it down, picked up his plate, and served himself; not getting up for butter. Xerxes stretched, "Ah, I'm cutting down on the stuff. Gotta look sharp for Dafina."

"Eh, I'll let that go. However, that's no excuse for you, Sethos. You need to gain weight." Sethos sighed, got up, and applied butter to his ground spuds. Lire and Ryan went about serving themselves; both getting up for butter. Ryan said a short prayer for the animals that had to die to feed them. 

Just as Ryan was about to take a bite, he noticed something that made him feel uncomfortable; Aella was watching him, waiting for him to eat. He set down his fork and took a sip of water. She frowned at his inaction and stiffened. Ryan touched Lire's knee to get her attention. Ryan leaned in to whisper.

"Why is she staring at me?"

Lire looked at her mother, assessing the situation. She turned back to him, "She's waiting for you to eat."

"Why?"

"It is tradition. Just eat, she'll sit down and join us if you do so. I'll explain why later."

Ryan trusted his fiance, and took a bite of the** Amazingly delicious mashed potatoes.** Ryan had **no idea** that potatoes could taste so amazing and unique. He was almost afraid of knowing the ingredients. He forgot this fear quickly as he ate with little care to the impressions he was leaving. It was the most scrumptious thing he'd ever consumed. He looked up to see Aella carefully placing portions of meat, potato, and vegetable on her plate; sitting at the table at last.

"These potatoes are amazing Aella." She looked at the druid with confusion, and looked as though she were to speak, but changed her words at the last second.

"I simply used Elfin spices. It...I suppose you must be accustomed to...Bermesian spices."

The rest of dinner finished quietly. There were minor discussions, Sethos and Xerxes butting heads occasionally. Ryan supposed he didn't sleep enough, because after dinner, he was positively exhausted.

"Excuse me," he said, and scooted out from the table rather abruptly.

Lire looked at him worriedly, "Are you alright?"

Ryan nodded and continued heading up the stairs, "Yeah, just totally wiped from that boat ride. I like my feet planted on solid ground, not swaying with the currents." Lire nodded understandingly and Aella permitted his ascension.

Ryan got upstairs, and fatigue hit him hard. He made to take off his clothes, but the druid decided it wasn't worth it. He collapsed on the bed in his clothes as a strange pressure filled his head; Ryan was asleep in seconds.

~*~*~Later~*~*~

Ryan awoke in the middle of the night, rested but disoriented. He forgot momentarily where he was. When he remembered enough to clear his mind, he started hearing the sound of a debate downstairs. It stopped abruptly, followed by a muttering, leading to footsteps on the stairs, to Lire entering the room. She sighed and stripped. Ryan sat up, rubbing his aching head.

"What's going on, Lire?"

She looked at him, then returned to her previous task, "There is nothing to be worried about."

"When you say things like that, it sounds like there **are** things to be worried about."

she finished changing into her nightwear and sighed again, "Just...don't worry. Mother doesn't think the elders will let us wed here is all."

Ryan understood the silent language, and pulled her down to the bed with him. She squeaked in surprise, and then let him do as he pleased. The druid kissed Lire's neck tenderly, "It will all be fine."

The archer did not respond, and chose instead to wrap herself around him. Without knowing why, tears sprung to her eyes. The stress of the entire situation, paired with the relief of being home again must have built up and was finally finding release. Ryan held onto her and rocked until she was calm again. She passed out in Ryan's arms, and he laid them both down; forcing himself back to sleep.

~*~*~Morelater~*~*~

The Elfin Druid woke up before his love, and moved carefully to avoid waking her. Successful in his attempts, he looked to the folded clothes set on the dresser with a note on them.

_Ryan,_

These are for you, Xerxes gave them to me to give to you. He figured you'd need more clothes since you're new here. I wish I'd thought about that before packing, but even if I had, it wouldn't have made a difference. Anyways, he hopes they fit you properly, and you should wear them after bathing.

Ryan took the clothing, head feeling foggy. He looked out the window, and saw cheerful sunshine filtering through the canopies. Walking down the stairs unveiled the scene of a happy Aella cooking breakfast while humming an old, somewhat familiar tune. She turned around.

"Morning." the smile quickly faded from her face as she saw it was Ryan who stood there. She turned back around and continued cooking.

"Hello," Ryan replied, stretching and sitting down at the table. Her actions grew almost imperceptibly more aggressive, although it was obvious she was trying to restrain them.

"So," She started, "Will you not bathe?"

Ryan looked around in confusion, "Where?"

"At the bath house," Aella sighed with slight irritation at his incompetence. It was off-putting that he'd already managed to offend her.

"Where is that?"

Aella stopped for a moment, considering going to show him. She continued cooking, "I'll have Lire show you when she wakes up. In the meantime, please go to the closet over there," she indicated a closet off to Ryan's right, "And get the bath supplies. Thank you."

Ryan got up and opened the closet. It was fairly obvious where the bath supplies were, as he saw them while opening it.

"I am to use these?" Ryan asked, assuming.

Aella looked and was silent before saying curtly, "Yes."

Ryan sat back at the table with his soaps and towels. It seemed like an eternity before Lire got up. She snuck up behind him with a kiss.

"Morning, love" she whispered gently.

"Good morning, Lire," He replied, reaching up his arm to caress her face, and grateful for the breaking of the awkward silence between him and his future mother-in-law.

"Morning, Mom," Lire said, giving her mother a hug.

"Salutations, show your fiance to the bathhouse, please."

Lire nodded and took Ryan's hand, leading him out the door. He hastily grabbed the supplies as he was inadvertently pulled. The Elfin archer began telling him about her strange dreams, and asking him if he had any. He'd slept like a rock, no dreams. After a short while, they came to a building that looked strangely similar to a public restroom at the carnival Mari set up.

"So, we're here. The right door is the male entrance. Left is for females. It functions like one of those vacation bath houses in Ellia. Will see you later~" Lire walked back to the house.

"Bye." Ryan looked at the bathhouse with a slightly self-conscious heart clench and walked in. He wished they could bathe together. Being in an unfamiliar city, with semi-hostile inhabitants while naked and alone did not seem safe.

It was a lot busier than it looked from the outside. A door to the baths laid on the right, where the steamy room he stood in actively held many neat holes in the walls. Ryan assumed this was where the temporary storage was. Men were absorbed in their preparations for another day of work; some energetic, others lethargic. Ryan walked over to an unoccupied storage hole near the bath-room and undressed. The elf could feel judgmental eyes on him as he quickly stripped and wrapped a towel around his private region. Suddenly-

"Ryan!" Xerxes shouted heartily, slapping him on his naked back. The Elfin lumberjack was stark naked, and proud.

"Ah...hello Xerxes." Normally he would be doing anything to get out of his clothes, but being there turned him shy and nervous.

"Diodotus, Euclid, this is Ryan, from the Elfin Forest. He will be marrying my sister in a few months."

The left man of light build and bowed courteously, "An honor, to be wedding the beautiful and strong Lire it must be. I, myself, have pursued the woman. She is not easy to capture. I am Diodotus; a pleasure to meet you." His long hair was dark brown, eyes green, and face was sharp and pointed. The Druid couldn't help but to think of Dio, who'd moved back to Ley's home when they got married.

Euclid, the black haired, red eyed, gentle featured elf nodded at him, "Same." Ryan supposed he didn't speak much.

"Ah...hi. I'm Ryan...the druid of the Grand Chase." He didn't know how else to introduce himself.

"Enough diddle-dallying! Lets get soaped up!" Xerxes exclaimed, very enthusiastically, "Oh, guys I need to use the excretory room before I get in there, don't wait for me." Ryan didn't need to be told twice, he got right into the bath.

When the druid entered, Sethos was there, reading from his book. He didn't pay much heed to Ryan's presence. Ryan settled in and started lathering up. An awkward silence was building.

"Hello, Sethos," Ryan said timidly. Sethos looked up.

"Hello."

Ryan looked around to see if the others had come in yet, "Is Xerxes, always that energetic?"

"Hmm, Yes, but his exuberance probably had something to do with claiming you before anyone could start a fight."

Ryan was confused and slightly alarmed. Sethos seemed to sense this and sighed, "What I mean to say is...you know how Eryuell does not take kindly to outsiders? Well, if you were to get into a fight, you would either be put to death or expelled from the island. Our family name would be disgraced. Yes, even if someone else attacked you, it'd still be your fault for provoking them, so declares the council."

Ryan understood but was sad, "So people will be prone to starting fights with me?," Sethos nodded, "Well what does Xerxes claiming me have anything to do with that?"

"By claiming you, he is essentially saying that if anyone wishes to harm you, he will ensure that they regret it."

Ryan felt flattered, but still awkward, "That's...very nice."

"Not necessarily," Sethos explained, "Although you made a good impression on him at dinner last night, it is entirely possible he only did it because you are Lire's fiance. If you were hurt, it would hurt her too, and he hasn't gotten to protect her the way he would like, so he's compensating," Sethos thought for a moment, "Or, perhaps he feels indebted to you for protecting her when he couldn't. Either way, you've been claimed by him. Congratulations."

It was at that moment Xerxes decided to waltz in.

"I'm back~ Hey Sethos. How are you little brother?"

"Doing fine. Thank you."

"Enjoying your bath?"

"Yes."

Xerxes friends came in, followed by a few other people. Three young boys ran into the bath and jumped, very excited. Ryan slid away to give them some room and finish lathering.

"Fellas, this is Ryan, Lire's boyfriend and co-worker," Xerxes had taken it upon himself to introduce Ryan to the others. A chorus of 'hey's' circulated the group. Ryan waved back and continued washing himself.

"Hey, doesn't Lire work for the Grand Chase?" a little boy asked.

Xerxes nodded, and the kid continued, "So...he's the druid of the Grand Chase?"

The three boys squealed in delight and surrounded him.

"You're Ryan! You can turn into a wolf! Show us? Please?"

Paralyzed by the sudden attention, he looked up at Xerxes and the other elves. A couple of them nodded and a few crossed their arms at him, expectantly. Xerxes urged him on. Ryan took that as a signal to do so, and turned into a wolf.

Regardless of whatever magical books had spoken otherwise, shape-shifting hurt. It never got better, only more tolerable with familiarity. Ryan howled in pain as he shifted into the orange wolf the Grand Chase had come to love. Seeing things through a wolf's eyes, his perspective on the people there changed. The children were eye-level to him, the adults were taller, and everything was threatening him. As seconds passed, it was evident that changing into a mostly instinctual hunter was a terrible idea. The small group of boys tugged and stroked his fur, climbed on his back, and splashed water at him. It took most of his self-control to stay in that form, not attacking anyone.

When he had enough, Ryan stood on two feet and shifted back. Changing back into his original form hurt less than shifting into a wolf, but all the same, it made him sore. The druid stretched his back muscles. The children cooed in delight over their new druid-friend. Some of the adults felt that their children were getting too friendly with the stranger, and pulled the children away. Ryan rinsed off, grateful that nothing went wrong, and headed back home.

The trip was uneventful, but when he got there, a delicious smell wafted through the windows. Ryan's stomach growled hungrily and he headed inside to see a breakfast feast on the table.

"Welcome back!" Lire greeted him cheerfully, wrapping her arms around his neck. Ryan hugged her back, and looked up to Aella's disapproving face. He broke it off and went to the table.

Lire smiled and sat down, patting the chair next to her, "Dig in~".

Ryan sat down next to his love. Aella's face loosened as she sat down; the elf's mouth set in her casual, disapproving glare. Ryan disregarded it as best he could, served himself, then proceeded to eat. Again, he was surprised at it's flavor.

"It tastes delicious, Aella. I'm starting to think you're some kind of renowned chef," Ryan commented.

The woman blushed and looked away, stirring her breakfast salad around, "I...suppose...thank you." Choosing proper words seemed difficult at that point in time.

"In this Elfin community, you are taught all skills, and with life spans...such as ours...you develop things more...expertly than the...humans you compare skills to," She looked down, frowning more, then began to eat. Ryan continued consuming delicious breakfast-ness in silence.

Later that day, Aella proposed they go clothing shopping. She had seen all of the clothes Ryan brought, and thought that they would not do for staying there. He needed an Elfin wardrobe.

They went out, and received many curious glances(or hostile gazes from the more elderly) from the Elfin community. He knew that they were isolated and bitter towards outsiders, but he felt the townspeople were taking things too far. It seemed that the younger ones were more receptive to his presence, however, the slight majority of people were elderly, or children too young to be judgmental. Finally, Lire reached the clothing booths. Copious amounts of hand-made, traditional-looking outfits sat folded on shelves. An aged woman sat behind the desk.

"Welcome home, Lire," the shaky, old elf said smiling.

Lire giggled happily, "Hello, Missus Crawford. It's a lovely day."

"Ah, come here so I can look at you properly, dear," She seemed nice enough to Ryan. Lire gleefully obliged. The woman put her hands on Lire's face and felt around as though blind, "Oh, you have aged beautifully, dear. Oh? Who is that over there? Did Taeorth befunkle a potion again? His hair is orange."

"Oh," Lire answered, "No, that's Ryan. He's the druid from the Elfin Forest of Bermesiah."

The woman's smile faded and she drew her mouth into a tight line, "Let me see him, deary." Lire indicated for him to come forward. The man felt his stomach clench in apprehension. He could almost feel the disapproval coming off of her. Ryan hesitantly inched closer. After he was close enough, she began to grope his face; her expression never changing.

After a few minutes, she stopped and smiled, "You're a very noble man, aren't you?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Been through a lot, you have."

"Yes ma'am."

"Steadfast to your pursuits, I see."

"Yes. Ma'am."

"Keep reaching for your goals, sonny, and keep your intentions pure. As for my approval, I suppose you're good enough for our dear Lire. What is your name again, love?"

"Ryan, Ma'am." Why was he saying ma'am?

The woman leaned comfortably into her chair, and sighed with a presence of knowledge beyond the plain, "Ryan, I would say you are destined for greatness, but I feel as if you know this already, or have previously achieved your ambitions. Remember to keep yourself satisfied, lest you stray from your path.

"Can I interest you in a traditional suit? The festival is coming up." She indicated the clothes he'd been looking at prior. Ryan tilted his head in confusion; had he imagined that entire conversation?

Lire interjected, "Ah, no thank you. We are not planning on staying long enough for that."

Mrs. Crawford donned a hurt visage, "Oh, but why? You haven't been home in years, and you have someone new with you!"

"You see," Lire bit her lip in indecision, "That's precisely the problem. I fear they will not allow him here for long, and although I hope for the best, I feel my prayers will not be answered."

The woman looked on with sympathy, "So you are hear for normal clothes, yes?"

"Yes."

She lifted her arm, and pulled a dangling rope Ryan hadn't noticed before. A little bit of tugging, and Ryan stepped in to help. The clothing stocks rotated over to display regular Elfin shirts and pants.

"There, you go, children. I hope you get approved of by the council," her expression turned to that of distant memories, "I encountered a similar problem when I was younger. I hope that the new council proves themselves more lenient than the last." Lire nodded and began browsing clothes.

After a while, they moved to another booth, and more booths, until he had a full wardrobe. Five o' clock came around and Lire decided to head home. Aella probably had dinner completed, or just about. When they arrived, Xerxes and Sethos were outside, having some sort of argument in Elfish. They were wearing and wielding gardening equipment. Lire abandoned her lover and ran to see what the fuss between her siblings was about.

Ryan stood awkwardly on the sidelines as his fiance mediated the two men. Sethos threw down his spade, and walked inside. Xerxes sighed and threw sideways glances at the druid as he talked with Lire. She nodded, and Xerxes walked away. Lire came and got Ryan, who was standing awkwardly.

"What's going on, Lire?"

She shrugged, "Another one of their arguments. Sethos felt that Xerxes was being rude and ordering him around as if he was Dad."

"Oh, that's awful," Ryan commented as they headed inside.

"Yeah," Lire, "But knowing Sethos, it was most likely just an over-exaggeration. He took Daddy's death particularly hard."

"Ah, I think I understand, though. He seems like a sensitive lad."

Lire nodded, "Come on, lets go inside." He followed her in and saw Sethos washing his hands in the sink, talking to Aella in Elfish. The latter was finishing dinner preparations. Lire and Ryan sat at the table, where various foods rested. A basket of various freshly baked breads laid in the center, surrounded by odd looking fruits.

"Hey, Lire?" Ryan started, "What are those...plants around the bread?"

Lire smiled, as though waiting for him to ask that question. She began explaining in great detail the types of fruits and vegetables on display. Aella watched them like Ryan was a retarded child, but the druid paid her no mind.

They continued talking through the preparation. Sethos joined them, and Xerxes followed shortly after. He had brought a brown-haired elf with a reverse bob with him.

"Guys, this is Dafina." The indicated woman pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and bowed respectively.

"Hello, pleased to make your acquaintance," She eyed Ryan lightly and resumed gazing at Aella.

Aella smiled for the first time Ryan had seen that day, "Hello. I am Aella, welcome to my home." Although the welcome discrepancy between Ryan's and Dafina's was understandable, the druid couldn't help but feel a bit miffed at Aella's invitation.

"I thank you, may I sit down?"

"Of course! Xerxes, be a gentleman and get her seat. I taught you better than that."

Xerxes laughed and blushed, "AHAHAHA! Silly me, I must have forgotten with all of the excitement!" Xerxes quickly moved before her and pulled out her chair. Dafina smiled strangely and sat down. Xerxes sat next to her. He seemed uncharacteristically quiet. Sethos and the woman seemed to be having some sort of silent discussion. They were staring into each-others' eyes intensely. Xerxes cleared his throat and blushed, as if to get their attention.

"So...this is my sister, and her boyfriend, Ryan." Too polite to blatantly ignore him, she turned her head, blinking slowly, and gazed at the orange-haired elf. He felt as though naked, she could see right through him easily with her soulful blue eyes. He shifted uncomfortably.

"Ah...Nice to meet you," Lire said, sensing Ryan's discomfort.

The woman replied automatically, "A pleasure." She didn't take her eyes off of Ryan for a moment. After a couple unsuccessful attempts at conversation, she let Ryan go. She turned her head to the side and cleared her throat.

Ryan, able to breathe easy again, sighed in relief, "So, what do you do, Dafina?"

She turned back to him, her eyes dull and unfocused as she appeared to be processing something. Lire became angry, but hid it well. Dafina replied, "I write." She very simply said. She glanced back at Sethos momentarily, who spoke another fact of the couple.

"Lire and Ryan are trying to get married here, Daf."

She looked to Ryan and Lire, eyes wide, but still dull, "I see...very interesting...I am guessing he is an outsider?"

Lire nodded slowly and Dafina sighed, "I'm afraid you're going to have a hard time. Despite the rumors going around, the new council is..." She was quiet, and decided not to continue that sentence.

Aella brought dinner to the table, "So, food, anyone?"

Sethos, glad for a break in tension, looked to her immediately, "Yes, I am quite hungry."

Aella clasped her hands together excitedly, "Well, that's good because I feel that tonight's dinner is quite delightful.

Ryan took advantage of this good mood, "Well, every meal made by you is outstanding." Lire sighed as the smile faded on Aella's face.

"Why, thank you Ryan. As previously stated, our definitions are a bit different." Her smile remained, albeit softer than before. The druid noticed this, and decided not to speak further. He didn't want to be the one to ruin her night.

The group began to serve themselves. Xerxes prepared a plate for Dafina, as according to Elfin etiquette. After everyone got settled, Dafina brought the subject back again, "So, I'm assuming you're going to try to...appeal to the court?"

"Yeah," Ryan said, "Lire wants to get married here."

Dafina gazed at him with sympathy, "If you want to do that, appealing is no easy task. You have to first appeal to the townspeople, especially the elders. They are very judgmental. Most of them will give you the time of day, but there are a few hardhearted elves that do not desire change, and fear or hate humans," She paused, "It started along time ago; about five-hundred years, actually.

"Eryuell used to be quite active with Bermesiah and the other countries, trade and all. The king at the time was hungry for power, I'm sure you're familiar with him. A man who shall not be named, to avoid further insulting his family, was hired to help bring us to our knees." Dafina sighed.

Sethos continued for her, "The colonies of elves were all over the place, but only Eryuell and the Elfin colony of Bermesiah lived. Some 'Good' humans, or rebels, helped the Bermesians. They invaded our land, currently known as the 'Temple of Destruction', from four sides, driving us further toward the cliff our land rested on. Those who had come to trust humans too much didn't react fast enough, and died. A 'brave soul' came to our rescue, the current head of council , and set up a teleporter to this location. After that incident, no self-respecting elf would even mention humans, they were so taboo." Sethos seemed to be quite worked up. Ryan was curious about why he kept emphasizing those various points of his speech. Dafina decided to continue for him.

"Since then, people have been wary of humans, so wary as to cut off all communication with them. We began to be more cooperative with them when the rise of Kaze'aze began. Most of the younger elves are only suspicious of humans because of history, and at least half of those are self-aware enough to realize that five-hundred years twists things," She paused as if silently judging something. Dafina continued slower, cautious, "There is a rebel group of elves, they prefer not to name themselves publicly for security reasons, who are trying to open communications again. They do not believe the tales of old. Progress has been agonizingly slow for them," Sethos eyed her slyly, "Since it's mostly the younger elves and those proclaimed as 'crazy' who believe the conspiracy theories, naturally it hasn't been well accepted by the council members, who are old and stubborn by nature."

Ryan felt burning curiosity, "So, are you a member?"

"No," she said, "I have no opinion on the matter. I simply take the facts, and state them as they are."

Something told Ryan that she was lying. An awkward silence hung in the air, as Aella and Sethos glared at each-other out of their peripheral vision. Anyone with sense could tell what was going on between the two.

Lire, peacemaker as usual, broke the tension, "Oh, Mom, that was delicious!" She exclaimed, holding her belly, "Any dessert for us today?"

Aella, overly delighted by the change of subject, smiled, "Why, yes, Lire dear. I made Elfin Dessert Bread with Yurg berries and Pecka fruits."

"Oh really?" Dafina said, dull eyes brightening and turning to Xerxes, "I suppose Xerxes told you?"

"Hahaha, of course. I got as much information about you as Elfin-ly possible. I spent all day tearing out all the information from him that he had."

Dafina chuckled, "And you probably still are craving more, are you not?"

"Teehee," Aella looked away bashfully for a moment, "Yes, ah, your eyes seem to see right through me~"

Dafina smiled lightly, "Don't worry, you're not the only one who feels that way."

The rest of the evening went smoothly as Ryan mulled over the events that had taken place; it wasn't like Aella wanted him to speak anyways. Sethos seemed quieter than usual as well. He didn't respond to Xerxes jeering the way he had the night before.

As Ryan lay in bed, holding Lire comfortingly against the chill night breeze that slipped through the cracks in the windows, he chewed over Dafina and Sethos' words in his mind.

And like that, he decided, he was going to win over the people of Eryuell. He had to, even if he didn't want to, for Lire's sake. Honestly, he wanted to. He fell in love with Eryuell. It was so beautiful and peaceful. The respect for nature was so immense. Even their homes were living! He loved it, and wanted to be a part of it. The next morning, he was going on a mission to befriend every person in Eryuell.

~*~*~Beginepictimelapse~*~*~

And so it began. It was obvious that he would need to stay for the festival. Lire sent out a letter to the others stating that she'd be later than originally anticipated. They went back to Mrs. Crawford to get a traditional outfit. She was quite pleased that they had decided to come back, and proceeded to weird out Ryan with things like, "This sash makes you look more pure, but perhaps that is not the best choice because the angels will try to bend you to their will." Lire shrugged apologetically and continued to watch them change clothes.

Xerxes took it upon himself, socialite that he was, to introduce him to everyone on the island. They started out by gaining the approval of the younger adults, most of them Sethos' friends, coworkers, or classmates. The majority were accepting of his presence, some were quite uncomfortable, and others were gratuitously curious. The displeased ones were quickly brought around by the others due to peer pressure, as teenagers do. He certainly won the youth vote! It wasn't long before he was invited over to parents' houses.

The lumberjack-like man brought him around the workplaces in his spare time, and introduced him to the older members of society. They were all wary, however, most trusted Xerxes' judgment. It wasn't long before he was accepted by them, too.

The festival came and went, Ryan worked in the religious establishment, and won over several elderly people, but most were driven away by his very presence in the shrine. Their other family members convinced more to at least give him a chance. After the festival, many more of the elderly elves were speaking with him, and slowly coming to understand that Ryan was not a threat, and was actually a very good person. Perhaps, it was time to let that five-hundred year old grudge pass? 

The entire process took an entire month and a half to complete. Aella had warmed up to Ryan, it was only natural. Sethos had begun coaching him on how to act in the presence of the council, and Lire went forward with setting up a date to be evaluated. Ryan's nerves were working overtime. There were so many precautions, so very many little ways to slip up in the presence of the Elders. The biggest point that Sethos was driving home was to not look up at them, to not speak/make too much noise, and most importantly, _**Do not look them in the eyes.**_ That would be certain failure, according to his future brother-in-law. He practiced standing bowed, never swaying, with his right foot seven centimeters in front of, and diagonal from his left.

In the event that he was addressed, he was to respond with "Yes" and "No" answers. Lire was a nervous wreck. She couldn't stop shaking, which led to more embracing and affection. The only place that seemed to soothe her nerves was the garden, attended to by a silver-haired elf with blue eyes named Miss Ouka Cross She was one of the first of the second generation to accept him. It was of no surprise, she was third cousin to Mrs. Crawford. She had the same misty eyes, although not quite as filled with Glaucoma.

All too soon, Judgment day came. Ryan felt particularly drugged that day, and the sky was pouring water on the island.

~*~*~Endepictimelapse~*~*~

"A poor omen," Aella observed, serving Elfin breakfast toast to Ryan, "I wish you didn't have to go today. It seemed to be so clear yesterday." Lire sighed, as she put her eggs on her toast and ate them like a sandwich. It was clear she felt the same. Ryan rubbed her back soothingly as he took a sip of his Perlon juice. It tasted more bitter than the juice the day before. Probably another omen.

They left shortly later wearing their traditional clothing. Sethos clapped him on the back as he was leaving,

"Good luck."

Ryan nodded gratefully, "Thanks". Ryan was soon surrounded by other supportive elves, offering solace and words of courage. A little girl with brown hair put a pink and purple garland on his head. Ryan hugged her, and continued on his way.

After they left, Sethos came in from the garden. Aella pulled him close, "This once, I wouldn't mind if you observed,"

Sethos nodded, and sat at the table, opening his book, and starting a hidden psychic connection with Ryan.

The couple soon came to the largest Redwood tree Ryan had ever seen. Of course, he knew what it was. The council office needed to be large. Immense amounts of functions took place inside. Breathing deep, he took Lire's hand and headed inside. He had to follow Lire; etiquette. It was even larger on the inside, he opened the door to reveal a stone hallway that he couldn't even see the end of. Lire gripped his hand harder, and brought him in.

They walked straight down the seemingly endless alley. Ryan grew tense with claustrophobia after the first five minutes of walking with no end in sight. A couple more minutes passed, and he could see where it opened up to reveal a desk. His love could sense his anticipation, and sped up her pace. Ten more minutes passed and they finally reached their destination. A harshly judging woman whom Ryan hadn't met before sat at the desk, staring them down. She sighed and straightened her back, looking expectantly at Lire.

"Name."

"Lire Anigmus and Ryan."

She handed Lire a sheet of paper and looked with piercing eyes at Ryan. Why did so many elves' eyes seem to penetrate him?

_'It must be their 'thing',' _Ryan reasoned.

They sat down at a stone bench next to a family Ryan had befriended. The father was missing, but the mother was nervously sitting and trying to amuse her two children.

"Hello," Ryan called out to her. Although he spoke softly, the sound echoed against the empty, open room.

She bounced as if startled, and looked at Ryan shocked and nervous, "H-h-hello."

The woman didn't seem up for socialization, and simply stayed silent. Ryan accepted this. Lire held onto his arm, and buried her face in his shoulder. She trembled, and Ryan wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. Shifting so that she was embraced in his strong arms, Lire took a shuddered breath. The druid was greatly dismayed, he had seen her nervous before, but this was ridiculous. It was totally not characteristic of her to behave in this manner, and greatly disturbed him. There was no way that this task could frighten her more than a basilisk, or the queen of darkness, or even the gods themselves. Yet, even though most of their journey had been together, he had never seen her this scared. Ryan clenched his fists in anger. They had no right to upset Lire, the Nova, this badly. He aught to march in there with his harpoons and stab the sin out of them.

But that wasn't his place, it wouldn't solve anything, and it would probably backfire. He didn't understand all of those stupid precautions for dealing with outsiders, but it wasn't his right to judge. So he continued to sit, seething and stroking Lire's head.

Suddenly, a mist cloud formed in the center of the room. A man with long, almost floor length white hair with a sharp face appeared from the cloud. His face seemed to be suppressing a grin and the woman next to Ryan burst into tears.

"We regret to inform you that your husband has not passed the evaluation. If you head to the woman at the desk, she can direct you to see him for the last time. Ms. Anigmus, it is _your_ turn. Please, follow me." He stretched out his hand, imploring her to take it. She got off of Ryan and followed the suggested course of action; bowing courteously. Ryan trailed behind and they all entered the mist.

A room, darker than the one before, is where the group ended up. The mist man stepped back and disappeared into the shadows. Remembering his coaching, Ryan immediately looked to the ground. According to his shadow, there was a light directly overhead. A booming voice spoke,

"To what do we owe this visit from you, Nova?"

"I wish for my betrothed to be accepted into the island. He is a pure-elf from the Elfin colony of Bermesiah. I also wish for my wedding to be held here, in Eryuell."

The man looked Ryan over, head still bowed. Due to the lighting, only the faces of the five council members were visible.

"For what reasons do we owe you this to you?"

"You are not indebted to me," Lire said, "No more than every person in the world who we protected with the Grand Chase's adventure."

A man from the back spoke up, "Referring to the guest list, it seems as if there are humans and...demons on it?"

Lire hesitated, "Yes. Humans and Demons who have proved their goodness. Over the past month and a half, Ryan has befriended the Elfin people. You have seen their testimonies in the papers I gave to you when I submitted my case. This is my home, and I feel that as a natural born citizen, I should be allowed to be wed here. I, and everyone on the guest list have proved our trustworthiness because we saved the world from evil countless times. We are obviously not evil."

"I see," the front man spoke, "This does not change the fact that the humans, the demons, even the elf you are wedding are all outsiders." 

"Why does any of that matter?" Lire asked, "If you don't mind me asking. Ryan is a full-blooded elf, loved by this island's inhabitants. The others are proven good. "

The man on the far left answered, "Need I remind you of history? The invasion five-hundred years ago?"

Lire straightened herself more, "Isn't it time to move on? Surely with the understanding that not every human is trustworthy, we can defend ourselves better?"

The council grew uneasy visibly, some were enraged. A level headed elder on the far right replied, "Politics were not described in your case prior, so leaving that last statement be, why should we allow this elf into our home, specifically?"

"Well, he'd be an excellent addition," Lire started, "He can help revive druidism, as he is the last known druid alive. Battle-savvy, he can spread his knowledge onto our soldiers. He is particularly skilled in botany and agriculture."

The front council member spoke again, sighing, "Yes, and so did that human. That one human that brought us all to our knees. You are proposing that we let eight in. Are you mad?"

The man on the left commented, "It is possible, that she is a spy. Think about it, she's spent many, many years there. The last time she came home, she had to spend months here purifying her soul, and even then, she wanted to rejoin them."

Lire shifted uneasily, "What are you proposing?"

"It is time for the judgment," the front member spoke, "Please, Mist-man, take the two away." Ryan felt the burning urge to lift his head, but it was forced down by a cool sensation inside his neck, as if a hand. He was reminded of Sethos' words.

"_Keep your head, down."_

Ryan did as the memory instructed, and kept his head down all through leaving the arena.

After they left, the group conferred. Their hoods and voices were so hauntingly similar, the scene was like watching a person look in a four-panel mirror, talk, and have the reflections speak differently.

"What is to be done with them?"

"The woman is a danger, in herself, not to mention that she wanted to bring humans to the island...and demons."

There was a pause, and another person spoke, "Are you so sure that she's the danger? Yes, she wants to bring humans into the mix, but isn't it about time we started forgiving...and possibly re-communicate with the rest of the world? They have valuable resources, and after the problem with Kaze'aze...we aren't strong enough to handle that again."

"This isn't about politics,"

"Really? That's all it seems to be about. If it were another person-"

"If it were another person, they would be put to death."

"But, she has a point."

"Don't tell me she has you fooled. No. Not after what happened last time."

"The townspeople are anxious, the conspiracy theorists are gaining power, support. If we don't, they may rise against us." 

"Then we'll take any measure necessary to protect them."

"Any?"

There was silence as the weight of that statement sunk in, "Any. No. She cannot wed him here, and she cannot stay here another day," The one who spoke that paused, "And...did anyone else notice a _coolness_ that shouldn't have been here?"

"Do you think it's him again?"

"Probably. He's observed every human related case in the past three weeks. Something felt more personal about this encounter, though. I glimpsed through his mind, as I tried to get him to look up. He knew the influence that was on him, keeping him down." 

"What do you suggest?"

"We follow him. Let him go, write a notice of expulsion, send a messenger with a mind's eye, and find out who it is that has been behind this."

"Sounds like a good plan. I'm sick of this."

"Same."

A chorus of agreement echoed off the cold, stone walls.

~*~*~Meanwhile,inthelobby~*~*~'

Ryan was holding on to Lire, the same as when they had before the examination. His heart was racing, waiting for the results, and the bench seemed colder than ever. He felt sick, he wanted to go back to the house and lay down. His neck was cold, and he had a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Ugh" Ryan groaned.

Lire looked up at him with her soft, healing eyes, "What's wrong love?"

"I feel terrible," Ryan complained.

Lire stuck a hand to his face, "You do feel a bit clammy. Anything I can do?"

Ryan shook his head, "I probably have to just wait it out," Lire looked at him sympathetically but laid her head back down on his chest, holding his hand. After a few minutes, he broke out in a cold sweat, and a little while after that, the Mist-man came back. Ryan wiped his face and sat up to see him.

The Mist-man's face was in the same form as ever, his hair sweeping his hidden ankles gracefully.

"Your request has been rejected. Please leave the same way you came in. Have a better day."

Lire breathed deliberately for a couple paces, keeping her composure for her love, then stood up. The archer helped Ryan to his feet. He leaned on her for support momentarily, the standing gave him a new rush of dizziness. This time, he didn't mind at all when Lire led him out and down the hall. She walked slowly as not to rush the elf.

The farther they got away from that dreadful place, the better Ryan seemed to feel. He almost felt normal by the time they reached the house. It was after noon, which added on to the strangeness of the entire situation. Part of him was wondering if it was even real.

They got back to the house, and Lire went upstairs immediately, letting go of his hand. A quick glimpse of her face would tell even the densest of people that she was grief-stricken. Ryan felt absolutely terrible and followed her. Aella stopped washing dishes and looked at the two with concern in her eyes.

"What happened?"

Ryan took it upon himself to answer and stopped ascending the stairs, "They rejected our request."

"And they let you leave?"

Ryan didn't understand what she meant by that, "Ah...yes?"

The woman was shocked, but she counted her blessings and didn't question the issue further. She saw the grief in her daughter's face, and didn't want to pry. Ryan would comfort her. Sethos walked in from the main bedroom, stretching.

"What did I miss?"

Ryan explained what happened, and Sethos went slightly pale, at hearing his interpretation of what happened.

"Oh, wow. Really?" He said after Ryan finished, "I can't believe they just let you go..." Sethos chewed on his bottom lip, "You should probably go see Lire now."

Ryan nodded in agreement and headed upstairs. As soon as he was out of sight, Sethos bolted back into the bedroom and began packing his and his mother's things.

~*~*~Notmuchlater~*~*~

A knock resounded at the door thirty minutes later, it was a little boy with bright orange eyes and brown hair. He held a scroll in-between his little fingers.

"Hi!" he started in his shrill voice, "I have a letter for Lire!"

Aella went to take the scroll from him, but he held it away, "Sorry, it must be delivered directly to them!"

"Awh, okay," Aella chimed, "Lire! You have a letter!"

Lire got up slowly, and walked down the stairs at the same pace. Her eyes were tired from sadness, and her nose was red from crying. Sethos came out of the bedroom and asked what was going on. Seeing the boy, he froze. The archer bent down and took the scroll from the little boy; reading it to herself.

_Notice of Expulsion_

_ To Miss Lire Anigmus,_

_Due to recent discoveries, the council feels that it would be best if you were to leave the island on a permanent basis. _

_We feel that since you have spent so much time with humans, and find them so desirable, that you should live with them. You have already failed the cleansing once, and with this recent turn of events, your place is with the humans. Please leave by sunset. We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope that things work well for you there._

_ Sincerely, _

_ The Elfin Council _

How had this happened? In one day, an entire month was wasted. Lire had her home taken away from her. She'd never see her family again, and she couldn't even have a few more hours with them. She had to pack immediately. Sethos went back into the room and brought out suitcases.

"So, we're leaving?"

Aella looked at him as if he had two heads, "What?"

Sethos nodded at Lire, "That's a notice of expulsion, isn't it?"

Aella peered over Lire's shoulder. The young elf was absorbed in her sorrow, and stayed still. Aella gasped in shock, and tears welled up in her eyes, "You're leaving?"

Sethos handed her a filled briefcase, "No, we're leaving. Together. It's not safe."

"What are you-"

"That boy was more than just a messenger, he was an eye. He saw me. I'm leaving. I think it's best if you do too."

Aella's tears rolled down her face, "But, I..."

"It's not safe for me, they know that you're my mother. It's not safe for you either. I already told Xerxes, and he'll meet us at the dock. He got us tickets already. Mom, are you coming? Or do you WANT to submit yourself to torture?"

Aella nodded and took the briefcase.

Ryan came down and saw the commotion, "What's going on here?"

Lire ran over to him and held him close, crying her eyes out. Sethos answered," Pack your things, we're leaving by sunset. They let you go so that they could send a messenger here and find me. I've been a big intelligence gatherer for the resistance for a while. Because of how gratuitously anonymous the magic is, I was able to stay hidden from them, but not anymore. He saw my aura on you, so it isn't safe for anyone anymore."

Ryan was shocked by all of this knowledge, but he had been suspicious of Sethos and Dafina from dinner that one night. He supposed it didn't matter anymore, he'd been rejected from the island regardless of his actions. He went upstairs to pack. Lire followed.

They didn't have much. He and she folded up their favorite elfin garments; the clothes didn't take up much space. Ryan put his Vanquisher Blades back on, and Lire picked up her composite bow. Done packing, he went downstairs to find Aella packing little things she would need, moving at a speed he'd never seen before. He guessed that Aella was where Lire got her agility from.

"Mom, we don't need all of this stuff. Let's go, now."

Aella stopped and sighed at him, "But...I...I really..."

"Mom, I'm sorry, but no."

"This is your fault anyways!"

"You gave me permission!"

"But if you hadn't done it before regardless of my wishes, we wouldn't be in this predicament!"

"And you would be rocking in your chair feeling guilty that you let Ryan and Lire leave on their own while you got to enjoy it here in Eryuell!"

"STOP!" Lire screamed, tears breaking through her voice, "I CAN'T HANDLE THIS RIGHT NOW! JUST STOP!"

Aella and Sethos looked at her with sympathy as she turned around and proceeded to cry into Ryan's chest. The druid managed to get his arms around her. He felt numb inside, like the gravity of the situation hadn't hit him yet. It was a good thing, because if he and Lire were both incapable of movement, they'd be in trouble about now.

Soon, they were ready, Aella and Lire were having the hardest time parting, but with encouragement, they both managed to get to the dock. Xerxes stood alone, holding his briefcase.

"So, ya made it," Xerxes said, clapping Sethos on the back, "This is good." His face was grave, however, and betrayed the feelings he was trying to hide.

"Here are the tickets." He handed one out to each of his family members, and they boarded the boat. Lire silently cried into Ryan's chest.

He sighed, and wondered how everyone was at home.

A/N: HEY THERE! HI! HI! I'm sorry about the wait. Minecraft is eating away at my soul.

So, I managed to finish this chapter before the next month, I feel good. I hope you enjoyed it, this stands at twenty-three pages finished. I want to thank all of my reviewers for encouraging me and supporting me and being patient with my failures.


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